Toward The Future
by bamafelix
Summary: Proclaimed (even by himself) to be a loser, Haru wishes for a single chance to break away from who he used to be. When a single chance meeting gets him involved in a game known as the Sekirei Plan, he may get that chance and find much more than self-worth. He'll find his future.
1. Chapter 1

**ENJOY! I swear that I shall not abandon this story even if I have to...I don't know. I'm just sure I won't abandon it. SO ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

**Chapter 1**

_The young man was running. He just kept running._

_"Well if it isn't Haru the Failure!" shouted the voice of his younger sister. The young man tried running even faster, but he could not escape the taunting voices in the pitch black void. Objects soared by his head.  
_

_Failed test papers. Other faces laughing at him. As well as a few things he had broken over the years._

_"You're the biggest loser on the planet!" continued taunting his sister. The young man, Haru, started running even faster, but still wasn't getting anywhere.  
_

_"So my failure of a son can't even run away right?" asked his father rhetorically.  
_

_"How pathetic." said his mother. Haru continued running even though the voices continued to taunt him and laugh at him.  
_

_"What a waste of a human life."_

_"Loser!"_

_"Idiot!" Haru clamped his hands over his ears and closed his eyes. He didn't even notice when he couldn't feel the ground anymore until he felt a sudden light feeling. He looked down...and then he fell.  
_

_His screams of terror faded into the void as he tried reaching out for any kind of lifeline, but none existed in this world of nothingness._

_"Haru!" Haru didn't recognize the last voice as he continued to fall through the void..._

* * *

Haru Takemura woke with a start, panting. He rubbed his eyes as he tried to fully wake himself up.

He sighed.

_That same old nightmare...but that voice was new...I don't think I've ever heard it before._

He quickly put it out of his head before getting dressed for the day.

Haru was around eighteen-years-old. He had spiky brown hair and dark-green eyes. He wore a long-sleeved, red shirt and jeans. He wore a necklace with a cross attached to it around his neck. Other noticeable things about him were the bandages on his left cheek and on the bridge of his nose. He had a thinking expression on his face at the moment.

"Why do I keep having that nightmare?" He asked himself. "I mean, yeah my sister is a bitch. And maybe my parents love me but have no faith in my future. And sure I fail at nearly everything I do and-" By this point, Haru had curled up in the corner, an air of depression hanging over him. "And, I made myself depressed again."

It took Haru a good half hour to get over his depression.

He looked around at his small apartment. It consisted of a VERY small living room, a small bedroom that fit a bed and a small closet, a kitchen, and of course, a bathroom.

It wasn't very luxurious and the only reason he was able to live was because his parents sent him money, but it's home...a home Haru can't make a single yen to pay for due to a lack of a job.

Just thinking about it made Haru depressed again.

He sighed as he sat in the corner. "Maybe I am just worthless..." Then he thought about it.

"Maybe the dream is a sign...Maybe it's telling me to do something with my life..." He clapped his hands together. "Yeah! That's gotta be it! I'll show those guys! I'll get a job and then I'll..." Haru paused. "Let's just start with getting a job first." He gave a thumbs up sign to no one in particular. He quickly opened the door and ran out. "I'll show the-WAAAAAAH!" Haru was so wrapped up in showing the world that he had forgotten his apartment was on the second floor.

He did not remember this fact until he tumbled down the stairs and hit the ground with a thud.

Haru laid on the ground for several seconds, stunned by his impact. When he sat up, his lips started to quiver as his eyes began to water.

"Must-not-cry. Must-not-cry." He took an incredibly deep breath, managing to quell his sobs for the moment. He quickly wiped the water in his eyes on his sleeve. He exhaled once he was certain that he wouldn't break into tears.

Once Haru was finished examining himself for injuries, he stood up and brushed himself off, sighing.

_Eighteen years old, and I'm still a crybaby...no wonder I have no friends..._

Haru resisted the urge to curl up in the corner again. "OK...for real this time." His words might've had more effect if he hadn't tripped on his shoelaces.

* * *

After a good thirty minutes of tripping, falling, and depression, Haru finally got on his way.

As he made his way through the city of Tokyo, Haru sighed as he noticed changes that had taken place since he had last walked around.

"I really gotta get out more..."

Haru reared back as a nearby garbage can fell sideways from the alleyway it had been in. "AAAHHH!"

_Meeeoooow~!_

Haru paused as a gray-furred cat knocked the lid aside and simply walked by. Haru could've sworn it was smirking at him.

Haru sighed yet again. He said nothing as he continued on his way to the employment agency. It was a relatively nice and quiet walk. He didn't really interact with anyone.

He wouldn't know what to say even if he tried to. On the way, he passed by the local university. Haru recognized today as the day that all of the students learned how they did on the entrance exams. You could tell who passed and failed by whether or not they had a huge grin or a look of absolute despair.

Haru hung his head in shame. "At least they had the courage to actually take the exam..." On that depressing note, he went on his way once more.

"I think I'd have more luck getting a job than actually getting into any university, especially with my grades in high school..." Haru shuddered as he re-experienced the most hellish four years of his life. And not just because he got bad grades. He could still remember all of the kids picking on him and two in particular. He could still feel the bruises that the more violent bullies inflicted on him.

Between bullies and having his self-esteem lowered gradually, Haru never had any time to have a social life.

He couldn't blame them though.

_I AM garbage after all._ He thought matter-of-factly.

* * *

"So what exactly are your qualifications exactly, Takemura-san?" asked the more business-like man behind the desk.

Haru resisted the urge to curl up in the corner when he noticed the dirty look he was getting.

Haru wondered what exactly what was going on in the man's head. But he returned his attention to the question.

It took him a few seconds to realize he had zip and no answer to that question. Haru nervously twiddled his fingers.

"W-well...define 'qualifications'. Hehehe..." The guy behind the desk was not amused.

"I mean what degree of education do you have?" Haru rubbed the back of his neck.

"W-well, I m-managed to get t-through high school." He said slowly has to keep from stuttering...even more.

The man shook his head. "Do you have any specific skills?" Haru seemed taken aback.

"S-sp-specific? W-well...I-I... um...I-I c-can err...I mean..." Haru stuttered with nearly every attempt he made at speaking for a good forty minutes. "I-I c-can-" The man was no doubt fed up with Haru's inability to speak properly. He slammed his hands on the desk as he stood up.

Haru could tell this was not going to be pleasant.

* * *

He was right as he walked out of the building a few minutes later, head hanging in disappointment.

Rather than simply tell Haru he didn't qualify for any jobs, he...let's just say he explained it in the rudest way possible.

* * *

_Earlier..._

The man left his desk and stood by the door, his face was indifferent, but leaning towards disgust.

"Thank you, Takemura-san, for completely wasting my time. Instead of listening to someone with actual potential, I had to listen to you stutter at every, single word in the dictionary!"

"I-i take i-it that means I d-don't qualify for a-any job?" Haru was on the verge of bursting into tears.

"No, I'm not saying that." Haru perked up at what the man initially said. "I'm saying you don't qualify for life. Probably the only reason you're even in Tokyo is because your parents are sending you money for rent."

Haru cringed at the truthfulness of the statement.

"Get out of this room. Get out of this building. I don't even want even the janitors to see your face around here until you've grown a spine, and maybe a brain, but I don't want to ask for too much."

"Y-yes s-sir." Haru said dejectedly. It was probably was for the best. If he stayed any longer he would've broken down crying.

"Don't feel too bad though." The man sneered. "I'm sure this isn't the first time something like this happened, so you must be used to it by now."

Haru said nothing. He was too busy trying to hold back the tears as he left.

* * *

"I failed again. I really shouldn't be surprised by now." Haru managed to suppress his tears, but his depression isn't going away.

"I might as well wander around. One of the few things I no one can say I fail at." Haru mumbled to himself as he started to walk aimlessly around Tokyo.

_ This isn't so bad, wandering around. Almost blissful, but still lonely if I do this by myself. Maybe that's my problem, I'm alone. I never want to see my sister again and my parents just accept me as a failure and don't encourage me. If I had someone who'll support me, stand by my side wholeheartedly, through thick and thin, maybe I can find the courage._

Haru's face grew a small smile as if he made a joke while he walked through an alleyway.

Yeah right, as if someone life that's going to appear. I'll be alone and a failure for the rest of my life.

Haru stopped his thoughts as he heard noises deeper in the alley. It sounded like two voices: male and female.

Haru would normally turn and leave as wouldn't want to stumble on a couple while they're in intimacy (like last time. Long story). However, something drew him towards the voices, especially the female one. It sounded almost familiar. The other one also seemed familiar, but it filled Haru's stomach with dread.

Being the curious person he was, Haru quietly walked further into the alley, looking for the source of the voices.

"-you're Ashikabi, don'cha?" Haru quickly moved back behind a nearby dumpster.

_Anyone but that guy..._

Haru peeked from behind the dumpster just to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him.

One was a young man about a year older who wore a green pullover and jeans. The other was a girl who could've been a year younger, the same age, or older. She was so beautiful that Haru couldn't figure it out how they were in the same area let alone together. She had light brown hair with blue ribbons woven in and grey eyes. She wore a thigh length, tight white gown and black stockings as well as black long gloves. She carried a large almost cartoon-like hammer beside her.

She also looked a little scared, almost resigned as the other person held her by the cheeks, no subtlety in what he was about to do.

Haru was too busy fearing what Junichi Tanigawa would do to him for eavesdropping to be embarrassed about the fact he was perhaps about to accidentally stumble upon their intimacy.

Haru could remember all the times Junichi, who had been his biggest bully in high school, had beaten him up WITHOUT a reason.

That's not all. He would insult Haru, spread rumors about him that were most certainly not true, whatever he could to make Haru's life a living Hell.

Haru ended up normally crying himself to sleep either from the pain caused by his injuries or from the emotional scarring that took place each and every day until Junichi finally graduated when Haru was in the 11th grade. But by then, the damage had been done and Haru's life was already a pit of despair. He made Haru hate his sister relatively less in comparison.

Unfortunately, Haru's fear was stronger than his hatred. And he would definitely prefer NOT to see his high school bully 'get it on' with some girl he didn't know, but for some reason felt sorry for.

"So what are you waiting for?" Junichi asked with a confident smirk. The girl hesitated. Haru couldn't blame her.

"I-uh...I-" She was interrupted as Junichi yanked her head up by her hair to look at him. It was clearly not a pleasant sensation.

"What you meant to say was 'Please wing me, Master', RIGHT?" It sounded more like a command and Haru found himself clenching his fists. By that point, Junichi was waiting, as if expecting something. "Well?"

The girl nodded. "Yes...I..." She was interrupted as Junichi struck her with his fists. He then continued to kick her.

"For someone who was begging for me to wing them a minute ago, you are acting pretty ungrateful." Haru had no idea what his old bully was talking about with 'winging' and 'ashikabis', but he did know one thing: He was the same exact asshole he had been almost two years ago.

That's why Haru couldn't help himself when he ran out from behind his hiding place. "Stop that!" Junichi ceased his tormenting of the girl to turn to Haru, who was standing just outside the cover of the dumpster.

"Who the hell are you?" Haru paused, his eye twitching in disbelief.

_He tormented me for two years and he doesn't remember me?_

Haru hung his head as an aura of depression dropped down on him. "Am I really that forgettable?" Realization flashed on Junichi's face shortly before his evil looking smirk.

"Well if it isn't my personal punching bag. I'd recognize that incredibly hilarious cowering depression anywhere." Haru began to tremble a little.

_On second thought, I think I'd prefer he didn't remember._

"S-sorry, b-but I'm not y-your punching bag a-anymore, Junichi." He was replied with a punch to his stomach, causing Haru to fall to his knees, clutching his aching stomach.

"Doesn't look that way to me, Takemura." He then kicked Haru in the stomach again, eliciting a yelp from the pain. "You may have a bit more balls, but you're the same exact coward as you were back then." The girl, who had been the previous target of Junichi's blows, hid her expression. "Then again, as expected of worthless, Haru the Failure." Haru looked up at Junichi.

"S-Shut up!" He was met by another kick to the stomach. A little more of that and Haru felt his organs would rupture.

"How does someone as worthless as you think you can try to tell me what to do? I'm far more important since I've been chosen for something important. Something you could never hope to understand, being as worthless as you are." From the hesitation in his voice, Haru could tell that Junichi didn't quite understand exactly what he had been chosen for either, whatever he was talking about.

"That doesn't mean you can treat people like tha-GAH!" Haru was interrupted again as Junichi delivered another punch to Haru's face, knocking him to the ground.

"Like I said before. Someone as worthless as you has no right to tell me what I can or can't do." The bastard stated with his amused grin.

Haru trembled as he attempted to get to his knees. Tears were rolling down his cheek. "...right..." Junichi blinked.

"Huh?"

Haru was still struggling to stand up. "I said...'you're right'...I am worthless..." Junichi's grin quickly returned.

"Exactly. I-"

"However," Haru continued, finally getting on one knee. "you're still in the wrong." Junichi's eye twitched.

"What was that?" Haru finally managed to get back on both of his feet, ignoring the pain from his new bruises.

Haru breathed in and out, trying to stop the tears rolling down his face. "It's true...I'm worthless...it's something I've lived with for a long time...a fact I've had to face everyday the moment wake up...I'm absolutely worthless...but that girl is most certainly not worthless!" The girl, who had been standing in the background for quite a while, looked up at Haru in surprise.

Junichi was reaching into his pocket for something Haru could only guess what it was. "Well, worthless or not, she's still my property and none of your business." Haru had to bite his tongue to prevent him from spewing a lot of insults that had nothing to do with what he was trying to say. He was clenching his fists so hard, his nails were beginning to dig into his hand.

"That's a load of crap...She belongs to no one but herself!" For the first time in a long time, Haru was expressing something other than cowardous, sadness, or depression...it was courage. It was apparent even through the tears on his face. The courage to protect someone else. "She has the right to choose who she wants to be with! And she should get someone she deserves! Someone who will love her forever and treasure her always like they should! Not treat her like some possession! I know that I don't know her very well, but she seems like a kind person from the fact she didn't crush you yet even though you clearly deserved it! Anyone. She deserves anyone better than you, Junichi!" By this point, Haru was amazed that he had yet to stutter once. It was a pleasant feeling.

The girl's eyes were wide. If it was from simple surprise or confusion, Haru wasn't sure.

He wasn't given much time as he was met by yet ANOTHER fist to the face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

He attempted to get up only for Junichi to pin Haru's head to the ground with his foot. "You know, I should be the living shit out of you for wasting my time like this. She's mine and there's nothing you can do about it. That's all there is to it. But you know..." Junichi put more pressure on his foot, causing Haru slightly more pain. "I might just overlook this if you lick the scum off my boots." He continued to nudge Haru's cheeks with his dirty boots. Before he could realize what was going on, Haru grabbed his foot and pushed it away, knocking Junichi off him.

To Junichi's credit, he didn't fall down. Haru glared at Junichi as he got to his feet. "I'd rather die than lower myself below a truly worthless piece of garbage like you." A vein bulged on Junichi's head.

No doubt he was thinking how dare this worthless loser insult him or something along those lines. Haru was slow to react as Junichi pulled out a switchblade.

"You wanna die?! I'll be happy to oblige!" Haru flinched and raised his arms in defense as his old bully prepared to cross the line over which there is no going back. Haru shut his eyes, waiting for some kind of immense pain to come across his chest.

Even though his life was flashing before his eyes, Haru still had enough of a mental capacity to think to himself.

_Well. I did it. I stood up to the biggest asshole who tortured me for two years...and now I'm going to die...And yet, oddly, I don't regret a thing. I'm sure if I was given the chance to redo this, I wouldn't change anything. I stood up to a bully and stood up for a girl I don't know. My quota of good deeds is done for the day..._

It was by that point that Haru realized he had yet to be struck.

"You bitch! Let me go before I kill you too!" Haru was greeted to a strange sight when he opened his eyes. The girl whom he had been defending previously was currently squeezing Junichi's wrist, preventing him from trying to kill Haru. There was no doubt in Haru's mind that her grip was strong as Junichi was doing everything he could to try to break away.

The girl had a determined, almost angry, look in her eyes. "_You will not harm him._" Is what she said before she used her strength (that should have been impossible for someone her size) to toss Junichi a few feet away from Haru. He rolling across the ground a few times before slamming into the nearby wall.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to make a break for it. "You bastards! I'll make you pay for this!" He then ran, tail between his legs.

Haru sighed, close to dropping dead from his mental and physical exhaustion. "I finally stood up to him..." He then gave a guilty glance at the girl who pretty much saved his life. "But I ended up needing your help in the end." He looked down and turned away. "I'm sorry. I guess I really am worthless though."

"Don't say that." In a flash, the girl ran up to him and pressed against his chest, clinging to him by his shirt. Haru's cheeks began to burn redder with each passing second.

_Who...Who is this girl? Everything about her just seems so...wow..._

Haru shook his head. "W-well...I-I wasn't really able to do anything...I-I mean..." He found himself absolutely lost for words as the girl pulled away from his chest and looked right into his eyes as he looked into hers.

"Did you really mean what you said? About how I could choose my own Ashikabi?" Haru could only assume that 'Ashikabi' meant 'boyfriend' or something. No other definitions came to mind. He turned away, blushing even more deeply. "The person whom I want to be with forever?"

_Well...I guess I totally nailed that definition._

Haru scratched his head. "Y-yeah. O-of course. The only person who-who can ever make you be with someone is y-yourself. Be with whoever m-makes you happy. I mean, you're beautiful and extremely kind even to someone as worthless as me...y-you could have any guy you set your eyes on. If it's someone worthless like me or better, you just have to say hello and they'd be putty in your hands."

"You aren't worthless." she said again. She gently raised her hands and held Haru by his cheeks. But hers was a much more gentle touch than that she had received from Junichi. "You aren't worthless because...the one I want to be with...is you." Haru stared at her in shock, surprise, and disbelief. She continued holding him as he began to debate internally whether to remain silent or explain to her the many reasons why he would be the worst possible choice for her.

But then he noticed the look in her eyes had changed. It was longing, almost a pleading look.

Haru felt strange. She could have easily forced herself on him with her possibly inhuman strength, but instead it was almost like she was asking for permission. He found it incredibly difficult to refuse that face. It was beautiful and cute (there IS a difference between the two) at the same time.

_W-Well...what's the worst that could happen?_

Haru slowly nodded as he wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, uncertain what else he should be doing. The girl took his invitation eagerly and pressed her lips against his. The girl released his shirt and wrapped her arms around Haru's neck, closing her eyes as she embraced Haru. Haru, seeing no other choices (even if he wanted another choice) held her tighter, blushing as he realized just how soft her lips were.

The real shock was a few seconds later...

Haru at first thought it was an illusion created by his mind, but while his lips were in contact with the girl's, he couldn't help but have his attention drawn to the pair of massive, blue, wing-like appendages that sprouted into existence on her back, illuminating the entire alleyway. The girl didn't pay as much attention to them as Haru did and simply continued to hold their lips in the same position as before. She must've needed oxygen, because when she pulled away, there was a slight intake of breath.

She smiled slightly at Haru, a light blush on her face. "I am Sekirei No. 84, Yashima. At your service, Ashikabi-sama." Haru blinked, trying to gather his thoughts.

"I-uh...I'm Haru...Haru Takemura..." He mumbled stupidly. He didn't know whether or not Yashima heard him as she immediately buried her face in his chest.

* * *

Yashima's POV...

She just wanted to remain here, in this position, forever. Embraced by this strange warmth...Haru, he had called himself.

It was a strange feeling. Not bad...but different.

The person she had reacted to had been incredibly cruel to her and would have only been worse if she had been winged by him.

But then Haru...he saved her. He made her feel something that surpassed whatever sensation she felt from her reaction. It wasn't a proper reaction like before, but it felt...amazing.

She'd never felt anything like that. It took her a good five seconds before she pressed her lips against his to make her decision.

_This person...This is my true Ashikabi-sama...I want to be with him forever..._

Whatever she felt from Haru, the feeling of being winged was ten times more...she wasn't even sure what word would properly describe it. It was too incredible to describe with mere words.

Haru had called himself worthless, but Yashima thought differently. He was far from worthless.

He was her Ashikabi-sama. Her everything.

* * *

Haru's POV...

He still had trouble processing what just happened_._

Wings. Massive, BLUE wings had just sprouted out of Yashima's back.

He had gotten up, hoping for some chance at breaking away from his normal, worthless life...but this...he wasn't even sure what to do next.

_Ashikabi? Winging? Sekirei? Just what the Hell is going on? What did I just get myself into?_

**And on that note, I am done! So what do you guys think? Yay or nay? I think it came out fairly well. So yeah.**

**First Sekirei: No. 84, Yashima.**

**And so Haru's participation in the Sekirei Plan is sealed. The whole introduction to the Sekirei Plan starts next chapter and Haru will get the answer to the question of what the Hell has he gotten himself into.  
**

**I'm also accepting ideas for what Sekirei he should wing.**

**I hope you all enjoyed!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Time to continue this story!...Yeah...I don't think there's anything else I can add here...Nope. Nothing. I mean technically there are a lot of things I could put here, but none of them are relevant to this story...Or I don't think they are...Oh well. Wait! I do know something. Why does it seem that we all practically have the SAME ideas for who his Sekirei should be in one way or another.  
**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

**Chapter 2**

Yashima was worried.

Her self-chosen Ashikabi, Haru, seemed paralyzed for some reason. He was just staring off into space with a strange expression on his face.

Haru was also worried...but for far different reasons.

_What do I do?! I kissed her and FRICKIN WINGS sprouted from her back! And what IS all this about Ashikabi and Sekirei!? And why have I yet to ask about that goddamn hammer behind her that keeps slipping my mind!? What is this?! Some sort of manga!?_

Haru probably would've continued his mental rant for quite some time, but he was brought back to reality by a strange growling sound. Haru looked around only for his eyes to rest on the girl, Yashima, who had finally let go of him. She was poking her fingers together as a light blush became apparent on her cheeks. She turned away, embarrassed.

"Err...A-are you hungry?" Haru managed to get out. He didn't have much experience talking to girls (his mom doesn't count and his sister would be a poor example).

"Y-yes." Yashima stuttered in an incredibly cute way.

Haru sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "W-well, I guess we should go back to m-my place then."

Yashima's eyes lit up at this and Haru began to have a sinking feeling about something, he just wasn't sure what though. He blushed as he held out his hand to Yashima, realizing how badly his words could be misinterpreted.

"I-I'll show you the way, Ya-" He jumped as Yashima seemed to immediately latch onto his arm. Haru's blush intensified as his arm was squeezed between her cleavage. She didn't seem to be embarrassed as her face lacked any kind of emotion at the moment. Haru's eyes darted around for something. "B-but w-what about your h-hammer, Yashima-san?" Yashima nonchalantly looked back to her cartoonish-sized hammer and then back to Haru, her expression unchanging.

* * *

Haru had hoped that would have played out less awkwardly.

Somehow, with her inhuman strength, Yashima managed to drag her hammer along with one arm while still clinging to Haru's arm with the other, making it one awkward trip home.

Yashima seemed so determined to cling to Haru that it made him blush a little. She didn't seem to be embarrassed at all despite her previous display of affection. She seemed completely content with hanging on him even though the hammer she also had to drag around weighed more than Haru would ever to try to lift.

It was certainly less painful as Yashima managed to avoid touching or rubbing against any of the bruises he had sustained earlier from his encounter with Junichi, but there was no doubt he was going to feel those for a few days.

This brought another question to mind...

_Why isn't Yashima cringing or anything? She got it nearly just as bad but she's acting like nothing happened..._

It was silent all the way up the stair and to Haru's front door. Once they stopped in front of his door, the situation got awkward again.

Haru scratched his head with his one free hand. "Um...Y-Yashima-san..." Yashima stared innocently at him. "My house key i-is kinda in the pocket your leaning on, so could you p-please-" He was interrupted as Yashima decided to get his key FOR him. Rather than simply release her grip on him, Yashima hung her hammer of the ledge and gently laid it down so the head of the hammer laid flat against the ground floor below, the handle just barely being long enough for her to be able to reach and pull it back up if she wanted to.

Haru felt extremely uncomfortable during the two minutes it took Yashima to retrieve his keys from his pockets, embarrassed by several perverse thoughts that involuntarily formed in his mind. She nonchalantly handed the keys to Haru who took them without a single word and inserted them into the lock.

A brief click later, the door opened and the two entered Haru's home. Yashima's eyes moved around as if scanning the room. Haru began to get nervous.

_I still have no idea what's going on, but this is probably the only girl willing to even stand in the same room as me so please don't let my small apartment turn her away, God! Please please please!_

Yashima blinked twice after finishing her mental...whatever she was doing. Haru tensed as he awaited her judgement. Yashima turned back to Haru.

"It's clean." Haru blinked.

"Huh?"

"You are very good at keeping your home clean, Haru-sama." She stated as if it was obvious. Haru blushed slightly and scratched his head.

"W-well, I never really have company and it's not like I really do anything everyday, so I don't make many messes I guess. Hehehe..." Haru was about to say something else when he realized something. "Oh yeah! Your hammer! We should get that before we do anything else, but the real problem is trying to figure out how to get it in- ...Yashima-san?" Haru looked at where Yashima had just been clinging to him only to find her missing. "Yashima-san?!"

Fear, depression, and uncertainty began to fill Haru's entire being until he heard something heavy slamming onto the ground.

Haru's eyes widened with realization as he ran outside. He looked over the edge of the railing and he saw a scenario worse than any of the ones he had imagined.

On the ground laying next to her fallen hammer...was Yashima. She wasn't moving. Haru quickly ran downstairs, successfully managing to avoid tripping again and ran to Yashima's side. He lifted her up and held her in his arms.

Haru attempted to gently shake her awake to no success. "Yashima-san! Yashima-san! Wake up! What's wrong?!" Her eyes were closed and she was most likely unconscious.

Haru froze.

_Were the injuries that bastard Junichi gave her worse than I thought? Did she overexert herself? How did I not notice?!_

"Please wake up, Yashima-san!" Haru felt so helpless as-

His mental turmoil was interrupted by a noticeably loud gurgling sound. Haru paused, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"...ri..." A light blush appeared on the half-unconscious Yashima's face. Haru stared.

"Pardon?"

[1]"Donburi..." This was followed by another growl from her stomach. Haru was barely able to suppress a chuckle at that.

"Oh right. I DID promise to get you food, didn't I? Let us go then." Using the strength that he was lucky to have as it is, Haru lifted up the mysterious, hammer swinging girl and carried her all the way up the stairs and into his apartment (Haru tried to ignore how that sounded on paper).

After carefully depositing Yashima onto the floor and leaning her against the wall, Haru smiled as he walked into the kitchen and pulled an apron out of one of drawers.

Stars seemed to form in Haru's eyes.

"Yes~! Time to impress a girl with the one set of skills I DO have!"

* * *

It took somewhere from one to two and a half hours, but when Haru came back out of the kitchen, he was carrying a piping hot bowl of something delicious. Haru walked over to the starving girl and placed the bowl in front of her. He looked away with a little shame in his expression.

"S-sorry. I don't have a table because I never really expected anyone else to really visit so..." He handed her some chopsticks so that she could eat and took a few steps back as to avoid crowding. "...but I hope you enjoy it anyway, Yashima-san." Yashima didn't need the invitation.

[2]"Itadakimasu."

The moment she had been given the means and the food to eat, she started chowing down. Haru watched in surprise as she easily downed the entire bowl in two minutes tops.

When she was finished, she placed the chopsticks in the bowl, which she held out to Haru.

"May I have more please?" It took Haru's brain a few moments to process what she was saying before he nodded slowly. He took the bowl from her hands and went back to the kitchen to make her another one.

If Haru had planned on using the leftovers for anything, he would be sorely disappointed. Every time he came back out, he would end up going back into the kitchen two minutes later.

It was after the fifth or sixth bowl that Yashima bowed to Haru.

"Thank you, Haru-sama."

Haru blushed lightly as he sat down next to her, uncertain of what to do next.

"I-it was nothing, really. I-I have always been good when it came to cooking so something like t-this wasn't very hard for me to m-make."

He was going to say more, but he was stopped when Yashima gently placed her hand on Haru's as she stared into his eyes.

"No. I mean for everything, Haru-sama. When I was being hurt, you came to save me. When I was hungry, you brought me into your home. You are a truly kind person, Haru-sama." She seemed to be leaning closer to Haru after each sentence she finished. Haru blushed slightly as he internally debated what to do.

_OK, on one hand, she is incredibly cute and sweet (which makes it easy to look past the fact that she grew WINGS) and may somehow have feelings for me, but on the other hand, if I agree to enter a relationship with her, I'll no doubt just end up ruining her life..._

Haru sighed as he leaned back a bit, but Yashima didn't seem to notice or mind and simply remained as she was.

"Yashima-san...can I ask you something?" Yashima leaned in further, causing Haru to lean back a bit more.

"Yes, Haru-sama?" Before Haru could say something, he leaned back just a little further. Enough that he slipped and fell backwards onto his back

"Ouch."

"Are you alright, Haru-sama?" Haru opened his eyes and quickly looked to the side, blushing deeply, as Yashima appeared to have crawled on top of him, one of her legs on either side of his right leg and thankfully not on and/or crushing his manhood. Her face was level with his. From his position, he could just barely see into her shirt and what color bra she was wearing.

"Y-Yeah...I-I'm fine...The question I w-wanted to ask w-was why you u-use the '-sama' honorific with m-me?" Haru's eyes began to water as tears rolled down the sides of his face. "I'm n-no one special. I'm j-just some loser w-who somehow manages to fail at n-nearly everything-" He was silenced as he noticed Yashima's saddened expression. Her grip on Haru's shirt tightened just a little.

"Please stop, Haru-sama...I told you...You're not worthless. You came to save me when I was hurt. You gave me food while I was weak...You're my Ashikabi-sama..._I love you, Haru-sama._" This was all she said before she pressed her lips against his in a similar way to before. Haru blushed deeply as he once again felt the softness of Yashima's lips and strongly resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her. He watched as her massive wings painted the room a light-blue color before fading a few seconds afterward. She pulled away, remaining a very tempting distance away as a light blushed covered her cheeks.

Haru stared at her eyes. They were watering, very close to tears. "Yashima-san..." He adopted an expression of shame. But then he thought of something. "...I do have one more question though. What were you talking about earlier? About Sekirei and Ashikabi?"

"An excellent question, my boy!" Haru jumped a little at the new voice they heard, but was still pinned to the ground by Yashima. "An excellent question indeed!"

Haru did his best to look around. "Who said that!?"

"I'm sorry," the voice stated as though he weren't sorry at all. "Am I interrupting?" Haru blinked as he finally realized how misleading the position he and Yashima were in was.

"WAH!" Haru jumped with enough force to gently push Yashima back upright, although she didn't seem as upset or angry as he thought she would. He then looked around the room again. "But seriously, who said that?"

"Over here!" Haru's eyes scanned the room before landing on the TV which he could've sworn hadn't been on a moment ago. On said television was a rather flamboyantly dressed man with white hair and glasses.

Haru's eyes widened. "Oh my God!" He pointed accusingly at the television.

"That's right! It is I-"

"The TV's talking!"

There was a brief moment of silence as Haru began to wonder if he had said something stupid. He looked to Yashima, but she looked rather neutral.

"Good evening, Professor." she stated rather plainly.

"Ah, No. 84, Yashima. I see you are doing well." Yashima glanced at Haru, smiling while her light blush returned. She nodded.

"Um...n-not to be rude...but who are you?" The man on the TV laughed at this.

"Very funny! Surely you've heard of me if you've ever picked up a newspaper!" Haru shook his head.

"I don't bother wasting money on newspapers." The man paused, but quickly returned with his previous energy.

"But I'm sure you've come across my name on the internet!" Haru shook his head again.

"Don't have a computer."

"Then perhaps you've seen me while surfing the channels?"

"I don't really watch newscasts."

There was another brief pause.

"My, you are quite the hermit, aren't you?" Haru glared, trying to ignore the urge to cry.

"I don't want to hear that from a talking TV!" There was another brief silence before the man started to speak again.

"Anywho, regardless of your low intelligence-" Haru felt his aura of depression creeping up on him again. "-I should introduce myself. I am Minaka Hiroto, the CEO and founder of MBI."

"Never heard of you." Haru stated without a hint of shame.

"Shocker." The CEO replied sarcastically. "As I was saying, you are a lucky man as you have been fortunate enough to wing a Sekirei and become her Ashikabi!" Haru scratched his head.

"That's good and all, but you still haven't told me what that means." Minaka cleared his throat as he began to recite a speech he had no doubt given at least a dozen times.

"'Sekirei Plan'. The name of the game in which you were fortunate enough to become a participant in. The rules are rather simple. There are a total of 108 Sekirei, like No. 84 who is sitting next to you. These Sekirei fight with other Sekirei after becoming paired with another person, their 'Ashikabi'. These Sekirei fight and fight and FIGHT until only one Sekirei-Ashikabi pair remains! That lucky pair will be allowed to 'ascend' and the winning Ashikabi will hold the fate of the world in his or her hands!" Haru was taken back by that last line.

_'The fate of the world'?! What's that supposed to mean?! And is all this stuff about Sekirei true?...That would explain Yashima's immense strength...but FIGHT fighting?_

"And lastly, since you know about it, you're responsible for keeping it a secret. You'd best keep quiet or MBI, AS IN THE LARGEST PHARMACEUTICAL CORPORATION IN THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH NEARLY UNLIMITED RESOURCES AT IT'S DISPOSAL, will retaliate with whatever means necessary." Haru had a feeling Minaka mentioned that middle part for him. "And take good care of Yashima! Farewell!" With that, the TV turned off. Haru stared.

"Well...that happened." He turned back to Yashima who had a worried expression.

"Are you angry, Haru-sama?" Haru sighed and shook his head.

"Nope. By this point I've become resigned to whatever life throws at me." Yashima looked away.

"That's not what I meant, Haru-sama..." Haru blinked.

"Then what DO you mean?" Yashima adopted a look of shame that Haru could recognize from over a million miles away. It was the same look he wore whenever he felt he did something wrong.

"I...I made you into an Ashikabi without informing you about what it would entitle. I lied to you, Haru-sama..." She avoided Haru's gaze, but he gently brushed his hand against her cheek, something Yashima hadn't expected.

"Don't worry about it, Yashima-s...I mean...er...Yashima-chan." Haru tested to see if it was okay to use a more friendly way of addressing her. Yashima didn't seem to mind. In fact, her eyes brightened a little at being addressed with '-chan'. "It's probably for the best. If this kiss-winging thing is what makes someone an Ashikabi, I don't think I'd be able to stand that creep, Junichi touching someone as beautiful and kind as you. Even if that wasn't so, I don't regret it." Yashima blushed again.

"Thank you, Haru-sama." She flinched as she noticed Haru's expression go back to its previous sad form.

"I just wish you could've gotten someone better than me..." Yashima was about to say something when Haru smiled at her. "...but seeing as we're in this together, the only thing I can do is try to be the best Ashikabi I can for you!" Haru paused, scratching his cheek. "I know asking is pretty pointless by this point, but..." Haru clasped Yashima's hands in his own. "Yashima, will you accept me as your Ashikabi?" He tried to retain a serious expression, but a blush snuck its way onto his face and he could feel his hands become incredibly sweaty. Yashima still didn't seem to mind though.

Deep down, Haru was mentally beating himself down. He would be possibly be giving up the one girl who would be willing to put up with him...but his conscience wouldn't allow him to even say her name again unless she allowed it.

Haru felt nervous as she nonchalantly looked from her hands to Haru. She appeared to be thinking. Before Haru could respond, she moved closer to him, pressing her chest against his, giving Haru a confused look.

"I don't know what you mean, Haru-sama. I thought it was already given..." Haru felt his hopes deflate...

Then Yashima pressed her lips against his once again. Bright-blue wings illuminated the surrounding area yet again. She pulled away much slower than before and then looked at the surprised expression on Haru's face.

"I will always be by your side, Haru-sama. As I've said, I am No. 84, Yashima, at your service."

* * *

Yashima's POV...

The smile on her Ashikabi-sama's face. Yashima could feel it radiate the same warmth her Ashikabi himself radiated.

The warmth sometimes faltered after he began to doubt himself, but it would always return in the end. His happiness. His warmth.

It made her grow a smile of her own. This was her Ashikabi-sama. The true face of Haru-sama.

Yashima would do whatever it took to protect that smile.

This was the person she wanted to be with forever. The person she wanted to laugh, cry, and smile with.

The person she would always love.

* * *

Back to Haru's POV...

Haru was extremely happy to see Yashima smiling. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside...well. It was less describable than that, but that was the best he could do with words.

If Haru had to redo his life and undo his lack of courage, popularity, and knowledge, he wouldn't change a thing...because that if he had, he never would have met Yashima.

Haru rubbed the back of his neck as he noticed how much dirt that was on Yashima as well as her outfit.

"Since you're saying here, I suppose it would be okay if you took a shower...just so we can get the dirt that that bastard got on you. I'll give you some of my clothes while-" He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Haru blinked. "Who could that be?"

When Haru opened the door, he immediately wished he hadn't because on the other side of the door was a man in a suit. MBI was labeled onto the left breast pocket on his jacket. Haru's eyes widened.

"H-Hold on! I haven't even done anything yet!" The man said nothing as he shoved a box filled with...something before slamming the door shut, no doubt leaving soon afterward.

Haru's sweat dropped. "I guess he's not one for conversation." But underneath his expression, he was counting his lucky stars that he hadn't been gunned down there and then. Haru walked back to Yashima and placed the box on the ground. "I wonder what's in here..."

Curious, Haru flipped open the top of the box to reveal an outfit. One quite similar to the one Yashima was wearing right now. There were several other outfits inside the box. He easily avoided touching the 'more private' girl clothing.

"Well...I guess that solves the problem of clothes." He folded the outfit back up. "But we should still get you something more comfortable to wear to bed..." Haru then realized what he just said. "I-I mean like something that won't make you feel uncomfortable while you're sleeping is all! I didn't mean it that other way, I swear!" Haru knew Yashima would not react at all even before he saw her vacant expression. "I-I could give you some sweat pants and a shirt until I can save up enough money to get you a good pair of pajamas." Yashima appeared to be scanning the room again. "Oh yeah. The bathroom is over there. The door on the right. You can take a shower in there."

Yashima nodded. "Thank you, Haru-sama."

Haru grinned as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's nothing really. I-" He then noticed that Yashima had already pulled her shirt off and was beginning to take off her skirt, her slightly tight, light-orange bra giving her breasts enough room to bounce around a little. Haru's face began to burn. "Y-Yashima-chan, what are you doing!?"

Yashima didn't even pause as she answered. "I'm getting ready to bathe, Haru-sama." She answered with little to no shame or embarrassment. Haru stared, his face growing brighter and brighter as she reached for the clasp that kept her bra restraining her bust.

"W-wait! Hold on a second!" With a simple click, her bra gently fell to the ground.

"Yes, Haru-sama?" Haru stared for several minutes as his steam began to pour from his incredibly scarlet face.

The good news: Haru saw his first naked woman that day.

The bad news: He had a nosebleed a few seconds afterward.

**Done and done! Phew! Glad I got that out of the way. OK, first, I want to apologize if any certain words or phrases were used in repetition. That was not my intent and I apologize. So yeah. On that hilarious note, I am done!**

**OK, still accepting ideas on who Haru should wing. Also accepting ideas on who should be winged next...And guys. I'd like ideas on HOW they would be winged...I don't know. It would make things easier for me by giving me ideas, but whatever.**

**I'll try to update again soon...Oh. And if you have any questions, I'll try to answer them at the beginning of each chapter from now on...**

**[1]-Donburi**-**Donburi refers to a bowl of plain cooked rice with some other food on top of it. Donburi are served at specialty restaurants, but they are also a common dish that can be found on all kinds of restaurants' menus. Some of the most popular varieties are gyudon (stewed beef), katsudon (tonkatsu), tendon (tempura), oyakodon (chicken and egg), tekkadon (maguro), and kaisendon (raw seafood).**

**[2]- "Let's eat!"**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So yeah...**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's!**

**Chapter 3**

_Haru's dream was far different from before. _

_Rather than the pitch black abyss he normally saw in his dreams, he was in a large grassy plain that seemed to stretch for miles. He also noticed that the only thing that stood out for miles was a single, large tree.  
_

_Haru could still hear the voices, but they sounded much further away now._

_He felt really tired for some reason. He looked back to the tree and took notice of the gigantic shadow it created._

_'Perhaps a quick nap...'_

_Haru slowly walked over to the tree and then slid to the ground, leaning up against it._

_'It's so peaceful...' He paused as he heard the tweeting of a nearby bird. Haru watched it, hypnotized, as it circled around and around the tree._

_It was a very pleasant sight. Haru was even more-so pleased when the bird chose to gently land on his shoulder. It stared at him curiously, but he felt an odd sadness all of a sudden.  
_

_Why would the bird choose him instead of the tree to land on?_

_He wasn't anything special. The bird, a wagtail, gave him a curious look, as if asking something._

_'Why?...Why would you choose someone as worthless as me?' Haru shook his head, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. 'Why choose me when there's that tree which probably has ten times more value than me?' The bird seemed to tighten its grip on Haru, which only served to further mystify him.  
_

_'What-'_

_'Haru-sama...'_

_'Huh?'_

* * *

Haru awoke to the sound of whimpering. He blinked as he looked at Yashima who was laying right next to him.

Despite his objections, she had somehow managed to convince him to sleep in the same bed together.

Whether if it was her personal request or if it was something that Ashikabi and Sekirei just do, Haru had no idea.

"Haru-sama..." She mumbled in her apparent unconsciousness. Haru stared in surprise when he noticed that she was trembling. From the expression on her face, it appeared to be a mixture of both sadness and fear.

Something in his subconscious convinced him that his next move was the right one.

After another minute of Yashima's trembling, Haru carefully brushed some of the hair from her face before resting his hand on the side of Yashima's face, caressing it slightly.

Then all at once she stopped, a small sigh of relief coming from her as her sleep once again became calm and peaceful, as if noticing Haru's presence.

_I almost forgot...It's still so hard to believe...mostly the part where I somehow have a bond with such a cute girl, but also the fact that this 'Sekirei Plan'..._

Haru's thoughts were interrupted as Yashima's eyes twitched a little before they slowly slid open, staring at her Ashikabi. She rubbed her left eye rather sleepily.

"Good morning, Haru-sama."

_SO CUTE~!_ He thought to himself. He then realized that Yashima was staring.

"G-Good morning, Yashima-chan." He then noticed that they both somehow ended up sleeping under the same blanket and blushed. "Yashima..."

"Yes, Haru-sama?"

"I just want to clarify: We didn't do anything last night and you ARE wearing clothes under there, right?" Yashima sat up, letting the blanket fall off her.

Haru's eyes widened comically as he realized what she was wearing.

"Do these qualify, Haru-sama?" Yashima was wearing nothing except her bra and panties. Haru was too slow to cover his nose as a geyser of blood exploded from it.

Yashima raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Haru-sama?" Haru slowly crawled out of the bed and moved a few feet away, covering his nose.

"Y-yeah. I-I'm f-fine, Yashima-chan." Haru quickly looked away once he realized he was staring at her. "W-what happened t-to the clothes I g-gave you!?" Yashima looked down and then back at Haru.

"They were uncomfortable, so I took them off and continued to sleep next to Haru-sama." Haru's sweat dropped.

_Wow she's blunt...Did she just get even hotter?_

Haru shook his head, blushing. "Well, why didn't you just say so, Yashima? I could've found something else."

"I've tried wearing all of your clothes, Haru-sama."

"Well-Wait what?" Haru asked. "Tried them on?"

"All of them were to big or weren't the right size-"

"As in, put them on your body?"

"-and in the end they were all uncomfortable."

"As in touching your flesh?" Haru's face turned redder with each passing moment.

"Are you alright, Haru-sama?" Haru felt dizzy from how much he had to process in his head.

"Y-yeah...fine I just..." Haru shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "What happened to the clothes MBI sent?"

Yashima didn't miss a beat. "I didn't think to use them. I thought you would be upset with me for getting them dirty." Haru stared in surprise as he noticed Yashima's expression become one of shame. "I'm sorry, Haru-sama."

Haru raised his hands. "N-no. It's not t-that big of d-deal. You don't have t-to feel bad about it. It's alright, Yashima-chan." In a flash, he found himself being wrapped in Yashima's arms.

"You are a very forgiving person, Haru-sama." Haru felt his blush deep further as he felt Yashima's chest press against his. He had already forgotten she was practically naked somehow, making it hard for him to return her embrace once he remembered.

"I-It's fine, Yashima-chan! I m-mean, it's not t-that big of a d-deal...as I-I just said...s-so don't worry about i-it." Yashima didn't reply as she continued to cling to Haru, not making the situation any less awkward. "Um...Yashima...?"

"Yes, Haru-sama?"

"C-could you...um...perhaps g-go change-" He noticed Yashima let go and prepare to undo the clasp on her bra again. "-i-in the bathroom or s-somewhere else other than my room I mean!?" Yashima pulled her hands away from her bra before Haru finally exhaled.

"As you wish, Haru-sama." She then simply opened the door and walked out, shutting the door behind her.

Haru sighed as he scratched his head. He then began changing into his own casual outfit of a long-sleeved, white T-shirt under his unzipped red jacket and black cargo pants.

_Man, I have no idea what goes on through her head. We just met and she's just so...not sure how to put it into words exactly. I mean she's so amazing and yet I still don't know if she's messing with me or something. And she seems to obey every order I give...which worries me.  
_

Haru rubbed his chin.

_Why am I getting so worked up about this?...Then again, I guess I've never had a girl to wake up next to, so this may just be how girls are..._

He shook his head. "Not much to do about it..." He then walked out into the living room to see Yashima fully dressed in an outfit just like the one she had been wearing the previous day. The only difference is that she had a RED ribbon rather than a blue one in her hair. Where she got it from, Haru chose not to ask. There were only other blue ribbons in the box.

"Now that I think about it, I guess we should go get you some different clothes, Yashima-chan...Consider it a shopping trip. I'll pay for whatever you want." Haru said with finality. He was deeply grateful he had had the common sense to put leftovers from the money his parents send him aside for an emergency.

Yashima seemed uneasy. "Haru-sama-"

"And don't worry about it. I CAN take care of paying despite lacking a job."

"But-" Haru waved it off, placing a hand on her shoulder. She was silenced as her cheeks heated up a little.

"I promise. It's OK."

_Why is it something like this makes her blush, but when she's hugging me half-naked, she's alright?  
_

Before Haru could figure that out, Haru started clinging to his arm like a lifeline again. Haru blushed slightly.

"R-right. I guess w-we should go then." Haru grabbed his wallet and he and Yashima began their descent down the stairs.

Haru froze entirely when he noticed Yashima's hammer laying on the ground. He quickly face-palmed with his one free hand.

"Crap! How did I forget about that?" Haru sighed. "We should really move that before someone sees it." And then (Haru saw it coming a few seconds earlier) they ended up in the same position as yesterday. With Yashima clinging to Haru while holding her hammer seemingly effortlessly at the same time. Haru thought about saying something, but shook his head.

_I guess we should chalk it up to Yashima being Yashima._

Haru sighed again. "Let's go, Yashima-chan."

Yashima nodded.

* * *

Haru sighed dejectedly as they were kicked out of the first clothing store they went to.

Apparently Yashima had wanted to come out of the dressing room to ask Haru how she looked...in a new bra and panties.

And now they were never allowed back in. It didn't help that the bra and panties she chose were a little..._risque._

At least they didn't press any kind of charges. And thankfully the couple couldn't be charged for bringing a weapon since Haru convinced Yashima to leave her hammer outside.

But they found better luck at the next store.

After giving Yashima a brief lecture on modesty, they walked in together.

Haru let her wander around the women's section while he simply waited for her to change and show him how she looked.

The first thing she picked out was most likely a pair of pajamas...Haru didn't really pay attention. He simply waited outside the dressing room for a good few minutes before-

"Is it alright to come out, Haru-sama?" Haru barely blinked at the question before replying.

"Just as long as you're not in your underwear."

There was a pause.

"You aren't in your underwear, are you?"

"I have successfully changed into the clothing I chose out, Haru-sama." The door then opened again while Haru silently prayed she wasn't practically naked again. He stared at what she had chosen out.

It was a black-and-white striped dress (that was still a form a sleepwear) that went just above her knees. The only thing that confused him about her outfit was the panda beanie she wore on her head, but he chose to ignore it.

Haru could only think one thing:

_SO CUTE~!_

"Do you like it, Haru-sama?" Haru noticed she was wearing her usual stoic expression, but it was asking for approval...almost fearful of his opinion.

"Depends," he said, giving a noncommittal answer. "Do you find it comfortable?"

Yashima experimentally twirled around in her pajama-dress, as if testing something. After a few seconds, she stopped and then nodded. "Yes."

Haru smiled at her. "Then it's perfect." She nodded again, but Haru could sense a slight happiness emanating from her very being.

He could've sworn he heard her mumble "Thank you, Haru-sama" under her breath.

"Don't forget there's still an entire store. Pick out anything that catches your fancy." He somewhat hesitated as he DID have a limited budget, but he wanted to make Yashima happy.

Yashima shook her head. "This is fine, Haru-sama." There was a slight smile on her face. "I only needed something to wear while I slept. The clothes MBI sent for me will be acceptable. Thank you." Although Haru could sense she wasn't being truthful.

He frowned. He had gone out with Yashima expecting her to clean him out (as he expected of girls spending another man's money). But this was-suffice to say-the opposite. It almost made him a little worried.

When he thought back on it, despite her stoic expression, she always seemed...afraid. Afraid of Haru. Afraid of disappointing him or angering him in some way...

This wasn't how Haru wanted their relationship to be.

He sighed, hoping what he was thinking wouldn't backfire later.

Haru hid his eyes from her. "Very well...Yashima..." She tensed at Haru's sudden seriousness. She hung her head, expecting some kind of punishment.

"I order you: Go pick out everything you like so I can buy it for you." Haru smiled brightly as Yashima stared for several seconds. By that point, her eyes widened with realization.

He could tell by the new brightness in her eyes that she was even happier than before. "As you wish, Haru-sama." She once again went into the changing room...carrying several different outfits that she no doubt planned to try on.

Haru didn't read the tags, but he had the distinct feeling his wallet didn't exactly like his choice.

But the small smile on Yashima's face each time she came out to show Haru her outfit made it feel absolutely worth it.

* * *

Haru was close to crying as he carried the four bags filled with Yashima's new clothes.

She had gone back to being stoic, but she still radiated a certain happiness that didn't seem to be fading anytime soon.

And just when Haru thought his and Yashima's position couldn't get any more awkward, it had changed to him holding bags full of girls clothes with Yashima hanging onto him with one arm and holding her hammer with the other.

_I'm really going to have to watch how much I spend from now on or we'll be going hungry within the month...just have to survive until the next check from my parents._

Haru was so deep in thought, he didn't notice the shadow on his face that seemed grow smaller and smaller until the person casting it smashed feet first into his face.

He didn't quite process what just happened until his back slammed onto the ground.

"Sorry about that! Good-bye!" Yashima helped Haru back onto his feet just in time for him to catch a seemingly crying girl with two tufts of pink hair sticking up to resemble cat-ears run as fast as her legs could carry her.

Yashima glared daggers at the girl as she vanished from sight. "Would you like me to deal with her, Haru-sama?" She then noticed the expression on her Ashikabi's face.

He looked like a child who was trying really hard not to cry even though small drops of water were rolling down their cheeks.

"Must. Not. Cry. Must...OWIE!" He rubbed his face furiously as if hoping to rub the pain of his face, but only irritating it even more. "OW OW OW! It hurts! It hurts!"

Yashima stared at her Ashikabi in both confusion and sadness. Perhaps blaming herself for failing to protect him. "Are you...alright, Haru-sama?" She asked uncertainly.

Haru tensed as if just remembering Yashima was there before quickly wiping his eyes on his sleeves. He looked back to her, blushing.

"I-I just got s-something in my eye is a-all! D-don't worry about i-it!"

Yashima's sweat dropped, clearly not buying it.

"HAHAHA! I just got dust in my eye is all! HAHAHAHA!" It was clear from his watering eyes that he was really close to tears again.

Yashima was about to say something when her instincts took control of her. She quickly tackled Haru out of the way just as a whip-like weapon struck the ground where he'd just been standing, tearing up a good portion of the concrete. There were screams from a few of the nearby bystanders as they immediately ran in the opposite direction, screaming something like a terrorist attack or something...

Yashima quickly got off of Haru and firmly gripped the shaft of her hammer, looking around for the source of the sudden attack.

"I lost No. 83 because of you! She was supposed to be a present for my Master!" Haru blinked at the new and unfamiliar voice. Both he and Yashima turned their gazes toward a nearby rooftop where a single woman stood.

She had long blond hair and wore black stockings, a black Chinese styled dress with one yellow vertical stripe in the middle of it. She also wore white gloves. They could tell she was the attacker by the fact she was currently holding a whip of unknown length. She looked fairly annoyed with Haru at the moment.

Haru just stared before turning away to the ground nearby where four bags laid scattered. "Uh...sorry about that?"

The girl then seemed to be looking far away. "Imagine how happy I was, originally returning from an errand that was given to me by my Master, when all of a sudden, I spot an unwinged Sekirei that would soon become my Master's. But _you_ ruined everything and she got away. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Haru blinked at the sudden question. "Uh...angry?"

"How else would I feel?"

From the fact it looked like she was waiting for something, Haru assumed it wasn't a rhetorical question.

"Er...annoyed?" Haru sighed. "Um...Not to be rude...but your panties are showing. I'm trying really hard not to look but you make it way too hard by standing on a windy rooftop." Haru could tell by her angry expression that he had said the wrong thing. He then tried to sneakily tiptoe over to the bags that littered the ground only to jump back as her whip came down again. Haru tripped and fell on his rear end as he stared incredulously.

"What the Hell are you doing?!"

"Don't you ignore me!" she shouted.

"Er...I wasn't ignoring you. I was just trying to get the bags filled with Yashima's new clothes." Haru stated plainly. There was no sense in lying by this point.

"So a gift for you Sekirei huh?" The woman glanced from Haru and the red bags to Yashima when her mouth curved into a small, wicked smile. Haru could tell what was going to happen a moment before it did...but was simply too late to react.

Everything happened in slow motion.

With a few flicks of her wrist, the woman's whip went flying, smacking the bags off the ground with several other whipping attacks ripping through them as well as their contents.

Haru's eyes widened in pure disbelief.

The other Sekirei (for that's only what she could be) seemed to look even more smug.

"What's the matter? Gonna cry like you were a moment ago?"

Haru didn't know what hurt more. The fact that she had seen him cry, the fact that she was calling him a crybaby, or the fact that she was right.

What COULD he do?

He was just so useless. He was barely able to afford clothes for his Sekirei, calling it a present as to avoid looking more pathetic than he was...

He shook his head.

_No. I promised Yashima not to think like that anymore...but..._

Haru's thoughts were interrupted as he felt something. He slowly turned to his right to see his Sekirei...but he noticed something was off.

Rather than the usual stoic expression on her face, there was something else.

Anger.

It wasn't very harsh if you based it on her expression, but Haru could sense the aura of pure fury that surrounded her.

"You destroyed my Ashikabi's present...and then you had the nerve to dare call him worthless..." Her voice was shaking with the anger she was absolutely ready to release.

The enemy Sekirei giggled at Yashima's expression. "So you want to fight, don't you?...Well, I suppose I SHOULD punish you for getting in my way." The other Sekirei leaped from the rooftop and landed in the street across from Yashima. "I am Sekirei No. 38, Mitsuha."

Yashima nodded reluctantly, not wishing to regard her opponent with any kind of respect. "No. 84, Yashima."

Mitsuha smirked. "Let's get this started. My Master would be rather upset if I came back too late."

She then took aim and struck out with her whip at Yashima's feet. From the way she winced, it had been more than a little painful. Mitsuha drew back her whip and struck at Yashima's feet again. This time, Yashima slammed her hammer down to intercept the blow and Mitsuha's whip hit the hammerhead with a loud and VERY audible crack.

But her opponent must have been very skilled with her weapon because it was only a second later when Mitsuha moved in a flash, bringing her whip back around and slamming Yashima in her now exposed shoulder, the force of the impact knocking Yashima back and stumble before regaining her footing.

"Yashima-chan!" Yashima glanced at Haru.

"It's fine." But from the way she clutched the area that was struck, it was clear that the feeling was not pleasant, but Yashima quickly blocked out the pain. Mitsuha did not wait for her to recover as she brought her whip around again. Yashima knocked away the first hit with her hammer as she made an attempt to charge at Mitsuha, most likely hoping for a chance to deal a powerful and decisive blow.

She never got the chance as her opponent lashed out yet again. This time Yashima was a bit faster and was able to dart left mid-run and successfully dodge the first blow.

This proved futile as with a simple flick of her wrist, Mitsuha let her whip strike Yashima across the face, sending her sprawling in the opposite direction several feet.

Haru was about to run to her when he froze. She got up, but on her face was a long, bloody wound from her cheekbone down to her jawline. Haru didn't know how deep the actual wound was, but it didn't make him feel any less useless in this situation. Blood dripped off the side of face and splattered harmlessly on the ground.

Haru knew he couldn't do anything physically, but he'd be damned if he just sat quiet while his Sekirei was being hurt like this.

"DON'T GIVE UP, YASHIMA!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "You can win! I know you can! Show her who's REALLY the strongest!"

Yashima struggled to get to her feet as she firmly grasped her hammer once again. Haru wasn't sure if she actually heard him, but she seemed determined to fight anyway.

Mitsuha giggled yet again. "I see you haven't had enough. If you really want to feel more suffering, then I'd be happy to oblige." Mitsuha struck out with her whip again, trying to hit Yashima square in the stomach, but Yashima was clearly not having it.

Rather than move left or right or try to duck, she literally jumped into the air with her superior (by human standards) agility raising her hammer above her head. Mitsuha seemed to panic slightly as Yashima's position offered no chance for a second follow-up attack. She had no choice but to jump a few feet away as Yashima converged on her position with her hammer coming down. Mitsuha just barely dodged the blow as the impact caused dust as well as pieces of concrete to fly into the air. She wasn't able to plant her feet on the ground before Yasihma came flying at her from the dust cloud with her hammer poised to strike again. Mitsuha brought up her whip in a final attempt to defend herself.

Her whip smacked harmlessly against the metal hammer and was brushed aside. Haru assumed it felt like getting hit by a truck when Yashima hammer made direct impact on Mitsuha, sending her flying into to the sky for several seconds before coming into contact with the harsh mistress known as gravity and falling to the ground and rolling a few feet away. She didn't seem to be moving.

Yashima fell to one knee in a kneeling position, planting her hammer on the ground as to use it to steady herself. She was letting herself rest as the battle seemed to be over...

Haru, thinking it was finally over as well, started to walk over to her when he saw movement from the spot where Mitsuha had landed.

Mitsuha struggled back to her feet relatively quickly considering she just got hit by a hammer that weighed probably twice that of a firetruck.

Yashima glared at her still standing opponent. "Leave now and we can stop this fighting. If not, then I cannot guarantee your safety."

It was clear that Mitsuha had just about had it with Yashima by the way her eye twitched slightly. The offer of a ceasefire was clearly the last straw.

"Shut up, you bitch!" With much less grace than her previous attacks, Mitsuha lashed out with her whip in an attempt to finish the injured Yashima. Yashima was either too tired or too slow to react as it wrapped around her neck like a snake. And just like a certain, well-known snake, it began to tighten. Yashima's slow breathing became panicked gasps as breathing became more and more difficult for her. She tried tugging at the whip, but may have lacked the strength to completely tear it from Mitsuha's grip. "Not so arrogant now, are you?!"

Haru clenched his fists.

He didn't care if he got torn apart. Now he definitely couldn't simply stand by and watch.

"Leave her alone!" He tried to run to...do SOMETHING. When he was stopped by the look on Mitsuha's face.

It was a look of sadistic glee.

"I'd recommend staying where you are or maybe I might end up having to kill you too." And it was clear she meant it. But it was at that exact moment when her focus was elsewhere when Yashima made her move.

Mitsuha realized her mistake too late as Yashima began to yank on her whip. Mitsuha was dragged forward slightly, but was determined to let her enemy win this game of tug-of-war.

Yashima had gained enough length to loosen the whip from around her throat, allowing her to breathe much more easily.

"I won't...let you hurt...Haru-sama." With what remaining strength she was able to use, Yashima gave one final powerful tug on the whip, pulling the other end to her with Mitsuha still attached. Yashima then grabbed her hammer with her remaining free hand and began to bring it forward as Mitsuha came flying from the opposite direction.

There was a fearful and helpless look in Mitsuha's eyes shortly before Yashima's hammer made contact with her ribs. A terrible crack was heard shortly before Mitsuha was sent soaring straight into a nearby wall, creating a massive crater in it from the force of Mitsuha's impact. Haru could tell it was over by how Mitsuha seemed to slump forward lifelessly. He tried not to focus on that as he instead went to his own Sekirei's side.

"Yashima-chan!"

"I'm fine, Haru-sama." She said, almost monotone. But the blood trickling down the side of her face said otherwise.

Haru had an extremely worried look on his face. "We need to get you to a hospital or...SOMETHING! We have to get your injuries treated!"

Yashima answered this by easily getting back onto her feet with only a little help from her hammer keeping her steady. "It's like I said, Haru-sama: I'm fine." But Haru still felt uneasy.

He hid his expression from Yashima as he began to tremble.

"I'm sorry." Yashima gave him a questioning look. "I..." Tears began to roll down Haru's face again. "I couldn't do anything...you got hurt and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" His trembling continued as Haru began to feel...scared.

He didn't know what to do now. Yashima continued to stare at him with no change in facial expression. He expected some kind of angry word or something, but instead, Yashima did something much different.

She placed her hand on Haru's face, caressing his cheek ever so gently just as he had done for her earlier that day.

He couldn't figure out how or why, but all at once, he stopped trembling. He felt slightly more at peace than before.

"It's alright, Haru-sama. Everything is fine. I'm OK."

It was by that point that Haru remembered the Sekirei Yashima had just fought. He glanced at Mitsuha and bit the inside of his cheek a little.

"Is she-?" Yashima, sensing what he was getting at, shook her head.

"I've inflicted enough damage to erase her Sekirei Crest and terminate her." She noticed Haru's confused expression. "When two Sekirei fight, the battle normally ends when one manages to erase the Sekirei Crest of the other. This is normally done in one of two ways. Either one inflicts enough damage upon the other and renders them unable to fight any longer or one of the Sekirei touches the others Crest and erase it themselves using a special chant. These are the fights that take place during the Sekirei Plan." Haru was about to ask what happens when a Sekirei's Crest erased when he glanced at the unconscious Mitsuha again.

It was quite obvious THAT was what happens...more likely minus all of the bruises and being smashed into a wall.

"What now?" He asked. Yashima pointed to the sky just as the sounds of helicopters became audible in the distance.

"MBI comes to collect the terminated Sekirei." Haru swallowed, frightened by what may come after that.

He then noticed the tattered remains of clothing that had once been Yashima's laying across the ground and sighed sadly.

"Well I guess we should get out of here then...Are you sure you're alri-" One quick look from Yashima made him stop talking. It wasn't anger or annoyance, just weariness. The sooner they got home, the better. "We should also at least disinfect that cut on your cheek when we get back."

Yashima nodded wordlessly.

Haru bit his lip, hesitating to speak again. He blushed slightly. "I-if y-you're feeling tired, you could...lean on me if you wa-" Yashima didn't even wait for Haru to finish speaking before clinging to his arm again, returning them to the same awkward position as before. The difference was that this time, Yashima seriously seemed to be relying on Haru to stand upright.

_Perhaps she's more tired than she's letting on..._

As the MBI helicopters approached, no one noticed the young couple slowly move away from the scene of the fight.

* * *

As they approached Haru's apartment building, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Sorry the clothes we bought got torn up, Yashima-chan..." All through their trip home, Haru tried to ignore the original reason they had left in the first place. But there was no more avoiding it.

Yashima pulled away from Haru for just a moment as she stared straight into his eyes. "It's fine, Haru-sama. Aside from the fighting...I had fun spending time with you..."

Haru flinched at her mention of the fight. "Yeah, but I won't be able to afford to go clothes shopping again until the end of the month. I don't have any other source of income..."

Yashima then pulled out a small credit card seemingly out of nowhere (Haru didn't WANT to know where she had been keeping it) and showed it to him.

He could tell by the big letters on the front that it was from MBI. He looked it over, confused. "How much is on this?"

"There is an unlimited amount of money on the cards provided by MBI." Haru almost choked.

"U-Unlimited?!" Yashima nodded.

Haru looked from the card to Yashima and then back to the card and back to Yashima yet again.

"How come you didn't mention this before?"

Yashima didn't even blink. "I tried to, but you never let me speak earlier today." Haru felt his face heat up out of embarrassment.

"Sorry...about everything." Confusion shone on Yashima's usually stoic expression. "Back during that fight, all I had been able to do is stay on the sidelines and act like a cheerleader...if you had been the one to take Mitsuha's place...I..." Haru's eyes began to water. "...I don't want to lose you...I don't want to lose you because I was such a weakling..."

"Haru-sama." Haru looked up just as Yashima gently pressed her lips against his, her wings shining on her back once again. She gazed at him longingly as she remained as close as possible, leaning against his chest. "_You_ are the only reason I was able to win, Haru-sama." Haru stared blankly, as if unsure he heard right.

He pointed to himself questioningly. "Me?" Yashima nodded.

"Back when I was hurt and almost defeated, your words of encouragement gave me the strength to continue fighting. Even though you couldn't be right by my side, you continued to try to help me." Haru didn't struggle at all as Yashima grabbed his hand and gently it where her heart would be. It was an intimate gesture if Haru had to judge by the light blush and the small smile on her face. "As long as you're with me, Haru-sama, I will never lose. I will fight and fight until the two of us can ascend together...I love you...Haru-sama..." It was on those last words that Yashima collapsed into Haru's arms.

Haru easily caught her and wrapped his arms around her. "Y-Yashima!" At first he assumed it was her injuries, but then he heard a familiar growling sound.

"...Hungry..."

"This again?!" This was followed by another growl from her stomach. Haru couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Fine. I guess we'll get you something to eat while we clean your injuries." Yashima didn't reply, so Haru repeated what he did the day before and carried her up the stairs and into his apartment.

He smiled to himself.

_To think it's only the second day...and already I'm so head over heels for this girl..._

* * *

Yashima's POV...

In her "supposed" unconsciousness, Yashima couldn't help but smile.

It had been poorly thought out and unoriginal, but she had managed to get her Ashikabi to hold her in his arms.

Despite being innocent, he was an incredibly kind Ashikabi. Her light. The person she wanted to be with forever.

It wouldn't be the last time she thought so, but Yashima was glad that Haru was her Ashikabi.

**Done! Sorry if the ending was a little rushed, but I just...Anyway, what did you guys think of the battle sequence? Yay or nay? But thank you to KillamriX88 who helped me out, giving me some much needed advice to write at least SOMETHING although it may not be as good as he/she would've done it...Still accepting ideas for who Haru's Sekirei should be...**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yep...This is the next chapter. And no. Let me state for the record that No. 83, Mimi (That's what I am making her number for now) will NOT be making a reappearance unless you guys give me a good reason to do so as well as what her powers would be and how Haru will end up winging her. Otherwise NO.  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

**Chapter 4**

As it turned out, Sekirei like Yashima heal rather quickly. Despite not going to a hospital, Yashima healed up pretty well after a day or two, leaving Haru utterly perplexed. Even before the injuries healed, Yashima acted as though they didn't bother her one bit. Whenever their conversations were interrupted by Yashima's seemingly bottomless stomach, he was positive that she was going to be okay.

In fact, it was her stomach that was a little bit of the problem because-

"WE'RE ALL OUT OF FOOD?! How can we be out?!"

Haru's eyes widened as he stared at his empty refrigerator as well as cabinets. He turned to his Sekirei who was busy watching TV and shot her a suspicious look.

"Yashima, have you been snacking while I was sleeping again?"

Yashima turned her gaze to the ground in shame. A light blush appeared on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Haru-sama...I was hungry."

Haru turned away as he couldn't help but notice how adorable Yashima's expression was. He sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just tell me next time you eat the place bare so we can go to the store to get more food." Yashima nodded. "And no more snacking! Even the MBI card has limits I'm sure."

Yashima's spirit dropped considerably at this but she quickly hid her disappointment.

"Anyway, we should probably go now so I can get the ingredients for dinner tonight."

Yashima nodded. "Yes, Haru-sama."

"And Yashima?"

"Yes, Haru-sama?" Haru turned a deep shade of scarlet before looking away.

"Please, for the love of God, put some clothes on." It had proven difficult to try getting Yashima to actually wear clothes while they were home with her normally ending up wearing just her usual bra and panties, much to Haru's slight embarrassment.

Yashima looked down at her apparel before looking back up at Haru and nodding. The only sign that Haru was making progress was that she had taken to going into other rooms to change or dress herself or undress herself.

Haru dressed himself as well before going to stand by the door while Yashima finished getting ready.

"Too think that I actually live in the same house as such a beautiful girl..." He mused. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a knock at the door. Haru turned around and slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open.

"Hi, Haru-kun!" shouted the waving girl. Haru was startled enough to stumble back a few steps.

She was just a little over 13. She had her brown hair tied back in two pony tails and she currently stared at Haru with her emerald orbs. She wore her usual black and white sailor fuku uniform as she probably just returned from school.

Haru smiled softly. "Afternoon, Koyuki-chan. How are you?"

If Koyuki Tsukino wasn't his landlord's daughter, this situation would've seemed extremely bad as most situations involving a young girl talking to a 18+ man on his doorstep would have. She made a habit of dropping in unannounced as she was the only person in the last year or two whom he could call friend. Haru hadn't really figured that out.

He was simply sitting on his front step on one of his depressed days and Koyuki simply walked up to him and sat beside him. They struck up a small conversation and they've been friends since then. Haru still found it unbelievable.

He noticed a touch of pink appear on Koyuki's face. "Something wrong?" Koyuki jumped at being addressed as she tapped her foot nervously. She held her hands behind her back.

She suddenly went into one of her 'overly-shy' moments. These moments were also something about Koyuki's character that Haru felt confused about.

Koyuki squirmed a little before shooting her arms forward, revealing a small box wrapped in a pink cloth. She avoided his gaze. "Well, I just wanted to give this to you...just in case you hadn't eaten yet..."

Haru gratefully took the box into his hands and smiled yet again. "Thanks, Koyuki-chan. But I was just about to go out to get groceries. I won't be able to eat this until I get home. Sorry."

Koyuki seemed oddly disappointed, but nodded. "I understand. I'll just keep it warm for you until you return." She accepted the bento back from Haru and her eyes still seemed to radiate a certain brightness at the sight of Haru. "So be sure to hurry back and-"

"Haru-sama," stated Yashima as she walked back over to the front door. Haru's pulse began to quicken.

He had somehow forgotten about the whole 'No couples' rule of his contract.

_Oh crap!_

Haru tried to say something but then he turned to see that Yashima still wasn't wearing anything except her bra and panties.

"I cannot find where you put my clothes." she finished. Haru sighed.

"They're in the closet on the shelf." Yashima nodded dutifully and then left to go get dressed. Whether or not she saw Koyuki was anyone's guess.

Haru then turned back to Koyuki who had an indecipherable look on her face.

"Haru-kun...who was that woman?" Haru held up his hands defensively.

"W-wait! Ko-Koyuki-chan, I CAN explain! P-please don't tell your parents!" He pleaded. "I-It's not w-what it looks l-like!"

"Oh really?" she asked doubtfully. "Then who was that girl?" Haru panicked. His next words could mean the difference between having a roof over his head and eviction.

"She's...she is..." It was at that point that Yashima chose to return (fully-clothed) and wrap her arms around Haru's left arm, squeezing it between her bust.

"Haru-sama is my destined partner and I want to be with him forever." There was a brief pause as both Haru and Koyuki's jaws dropped.

Koyuki composed herself and Haru couldn't help but notice a strange aura of anger and annoyance emanating from her.

Haru hung his head. "You're going to tell, aren't you?" Yashima seemed blissfully ignorant of the situation and chose to rest her head on Haru's shoulder.

Koyuki quickly hid her lethal expression with a smile. "Why would I do that, Haru-kun? If I did that, you would get kicked out and I wouldn't be able to see you anymore." But there was something suspicious about this.

"R-really?"

"Of course not...However-" Haru sighed.

_There it is. I get the feeling I'm not gonna like this._

"-for the rest of today, you have to do WHATEVER I want."

That had been unexpected. "T-That's it?" asked Haru uncertainly "And if I do whatever you want, you won't tell your parents and have me evicted?" Koyuki smile widened slightly.

"Yep!"

"Sure. What do you want me and Yashima to do?" Koyuki shook her head.

"No. Not _that girl_. Just you, Haru-san." Haru couldn't help but notice that she stopped using '-kun' which increased his dread. Yashima seemed to sense Haru's uneasiness and tightened her grip on his arm, as if to comfort him in some way.

Something about the expression on Koyuki's face...it made Haru angry from some reason. Something about it seemed familiar. Haru considered saying 'no', but he glanced at Yashima.

This place was their home. If they ended up moving, Haru may end up having to rely on Yashima to help him move his things...and that wasn't right in his eyes. It made him feel cheap and like he didn't respect her at the very thought of it. It was not a pleasant feeling.

He had to choke out the words, but he said them. "Fine. I'll do whatever you want today. What is it you want to do exactly?"

Koyuki's smile became slightly smug-ish which only served to irritate Haru further. "Just take me out today is all I ask." Haru hesitated, but nodded.

"Fine. Where do you want to go?"

"Candy store." She answered without missing a beat. Haru's sweat dropped

_Just a little immature for a 13-year-old who's currently blackmailing me..._

"Fine. I'll pay for the candy myself and then we're done." He said with finality. "Right?"

"Suuuuuure..." Koyuki said, giving a noncommittal answer. "Anyway, no more stalling! Let's go!" Koyuki began pulling on Haru's arm, trying to drag him out the door, much to his surprise.

"Wait! Right now?!"

"Yes." Koyuki replied with just a little venom in her voice as she glanced at Yashima, who was still oblivious. "Unless you have something better to do at the moment." It was clear that that might've somehow an insult toward Yashima, but Haru didn't want to smack the girl upside the head until he was sure.

"But-" It was too late as Koyuki was once again trying to drag Haru out of his home. "Alright alright!" He glanced at Yashima guiltily after he noticed her somewhat saddened expression. He quickly turned away as he hesitated at the stairs. "Sorry, Yashima. I...I'll be back soon, OK?" Yashima nodded slowly before Haru left, closing the door behind him...

Leaving Yashima all alone.

* * *

"Come on! Get a move on, Haru-san!" Haru placed his hands over his ears at his 'companion's' shouting.

"Yeah yeah! You don't have to shout." He answered back as they walked to the candy store. Koyuki's personality seemed to have done a total 180 after seeing Yashima for some reason. Suffice to say-

"We're here!" Koyuki shouted excitedly. She then grabbed Haru's hand and dragged him inside. "I hope you have your wallet ready!"

Mentally, Haru was crying but physically he wasn't allowed to as Koyuki forbade it until the conclusion of their trip. If he did, she would tell her parents that Yashima was staying with him.

* * *

When they came out, Koyuki was cheerfully licking the over-sized lollipop she held in her right hand while she held a bag filled with...a LARGE assortment of other candies in a large plastic bag. Haru, however, only carried a wallet full of broken dreams. He may have had an MBI card, but he hated using it for reasons other than necessities such as food or other emergencies.

The worst part, in Haru's opinion, was that she didn't even share one of his favorite things to eat (this being sweets in general). He was almost positive that she did this just to taunt him by the way she ate rather slowly, letting him watch.

Haru sighed. "There. We got you your candy, are we done now, Koyuki?" As she had stopped using '-kun' for his name, Haru had deemed it fit to stop using '-chan' for hers.

Koyuki narrowed her eyes at Haru. "As a matter-of-fact...No."

"What?! But you said-!"

"I said you had to do whatever I wanted for the rest of the day." She cut him off. "This is just the beginning, Haru-san." In a matter of two hours, Haru's former best friend had become someone he wouldn't mind leaving on the side of the road. "And another thing..."

"What now?" Haru asked, starting to get tired already. Koyuki shot him a dirty look. For a 13-year-old girl, she pulled it off rather well.

"Watch your tone, otherwise I might 'accidentally' let something slip to dear old papa."

Not a very vague threat.

Haru nodded, his eyes watering.

"Are those tears I see?" Koyuki asked accusingly.

Haru jumped and then wiped his eyes. "N-N-No! It's just an illusion!"

_I'm being picked on by a 13-year-old...but it's for Yashima, so I'm gonna have to tough it out!_

"That's what I thought. Anyway, from now on, you'll refer to me as 'Koyuki-sama', understood?" Haru's eye twitched at the fact the younger girl had the arrogance to continue to lick her lollipop while shooting him an almost daring look.

"Yes..."

"Yes...?"

Haru inhaled a deep breath. "Yes...Koyuki-sama."

"And enough of that depressed tone! From now on, you'll also speak in a sing-song kind of cheery voice."

"Yes-I mean-Hai, Koyuki-sama~!" Haru shouted in the most cheerful tone he could muster, even managing a rather humorous smile.

Koyuki was obviously pleased with herself, leaving Haru only welling up with even more anger. He was also beginning to suspect the reason he was beginning to hate his former best friend. Before he could voice his thoughts, he was once again being dragged along.

"Come, Haru-san." she commanded as if speaking to a dog. "We still have a lot to do before the day ends."

Haru took a cliche gulp.

He was positive the rest of this day was not going to be fun.

* * *

And he was right.

In a matter of hours, Haru had been forced to: dress up like a butler and let Koyuki sit on his shoulder despite how heavy she was (an effort that almost killed him), make strange animal noises whenever someone said a certain word, shout out a load of embarrassing secrets in public (secrets that will not be revealed at this moment), and even forced to walk on all fours.

But if it meant he would be able to keep a roof over Yashima's head, he would be willing to do anything.

And as the sun started to go down, he was sure he was going to be okay.

Until...

"There. I swallowed what little pride I didn't know I had left and did whatever you want today." Haru stated, exhausted without his ha. "I am done."

Koyuki smiled evilly while wagging her finger at Haru. "Not quite yet. There's ONE more thing I want you to do before we can be considered finished and everything goes back to the way it was before."

Haru raised an eyebrow. "And we're finally done? For real?" Koyuki nodded, a little more of her previous cheer returning. This put Haru slightly at ease.

"OK. And then everything turns back to normal...sounds good. What's first?" Koyuki held up one finger.

"First, call that woman, Yashima." She said Yashima's name like she had a bad taste in her mouth.

Haru pondered this demand.

_Hm...she'll probably make me say something incredibly embarrassing or whatever...eh. Yashima probably wouldn't mind too much. She's almost like a...not sure how to describe her exactly...oh well._

Haru pulled out his cellphone and dialed his house phone number.

It rang for only a mere second before the phone was picked up.

_"Hello? Is that you, Haru-sama?"_ Yashima's voice sounded a little pleading, as if she was begging the universe itself to make the person contacting her Haru.

Haru smiled to himself. "Yeah. It's me, Yashima-chan. Looks like I'm going to be coming home soon. I'll pick groceries up on the way back so I can still make us something to eat."

_"OK."_ But Haru could tell she was a little happy now. Whether because of his impending return or the promise dinner was anyone's guess.

Haru then remembered Koyuki staring at him expectantly. "Oh yeah, and-" He quickly covered the part he was speaking into. "OK, what now?" He had a relieved smile on his face.

Koyuki smiled. "Oh that's easy, Haru-kun...Tell her you hate her." Haru's expression remained smiling.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Koyuki's smile became slightly less pleasant.

"I said tell Yashima, the woman you are currently speaking to on the phone, that you hate her and never want to see her again."

Haru's expression became one of pure horror. "WHAT?! No way!" He shouted, becoming angrier with each passing moment.

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to find somewhere else to live after I tell my dad you have a girl living with you."

Haru panicked. He couldn't tell Yashima what Koyuki told him to. She would most certainly think he meant it and leave, never to be seen again, leaving Haru with a huge empty hole in his heart. But if he didn't they would end up having to find somewhere else to live, something that may be difficult even with his MBI card.

_"Haru-sama,"_ interrupted Yashima's voice on the phone. _"Is everything alright?"_

Koyuki sighed. "Fine. If you don't have the guts, I'll do it for you." Before Haru could protest, Koyuki sprung up and snatched the phone out of his hand.

"No, it's not alright." Koyuki replied. "Haru wanted me to tell you he ha-" It was at that exact moment that Haru snapped. He lunged forward and smacked the phone out of Koyuki's hand, causing it to fly and clatter against the ground a few feet away. Koyuki stared at Haru with an incredulous expression on her face. "What are you-"

"Shut up! Just shut the Hell up! Don't you dare even think about talking to Yashima like that!"

Koyuki was unable to comprehend how Haru, the boy who had been an absolute coward when it came to speaking up, had been able to say what he just said. She quickly composed herself and smirked. "Well, I guess you want to get kicked out then."

"Wanna know what?! I do!" Haru's response made Koyuki take a step back in surprise. "Cos I'd rather die than hurt Yashima!" Haru clenched his fists rather tightly. "So even if I end up on the streets...even if Yashima leaves me and never wants to see me again...I'D RATHER DIE THAN HURT THE GIRL I LOVE ON THE WHIM OF A BRAT LIKE YOU!"

Koyuki looked as if Haru had slapped her in the face. "What...?"

"I realize why I hate you so much now...you remind me so much...of _her_!" Koyuki's eyes widened. She had spoken with Haru enough to know who he was referring to...she also knew that was the worst thing he could've thought of to say to her.

Haru was too busy panting from the energy he just exerted to notice the tears rolling down the sides of Koyuki's face.

"You...Haru...You're so stupid..."

Haru blinked. "Huh?" He was more annoyed than anything that she decided to insult him after everything he had just said.

"You're so stupid!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "Why is it the moment that woman just waltzes into your life, suddenly no one else's feelings matter!? You knew her for probably less than a few days and suddenly she's the only person you care about! I HATE YOU!" This was followed by Koyuki making a point of punching Haru in the stomach before quickly running off.

Haru hunched over from pain, but he felt a strange pain (other than the new bruise on his stomach)...

After standing up, he sighed. "What to do...?"

* * *

_Koyuki's POV..._

Koyuki was angry, sad, and confused all at the same time.

She couldn't understand how Haru could simply ignore her like that. It hurt so badly...and she...she couldn't do a thing about it. She was easily replaced by some older, bustier chick whom had by no means known Haru as long as Koyuki.

She could still remember the day they had met.

_Koyuki had been rather bored, her parents being busy with work or other things. She was always so alone at school. Everyone was either a jerk or they just tended to ignore her. It made her so bitter. Eventually, she overheard her parents talking about a new tenant who had just moved in._

_Originally, Koyuki wanted to bother the person out of sheer boredom...but then she laid her eyes on him sitting on the steps. Despite seeming rather pathetic at first, she noticed that kind and gentle energy he radiated. She couldn't help but go in for a closer look._

_"Hey there." she said, trying to start some casual conversation. The older person looked up at her and smiled gently despite the fact he didn't seem in the mood. As if he just wanted to spread happiness with every action..._

_Not to mention his face was so damn cute up close._

_"H-Hello." He stuttered, which only amplified how huggable he was. Koyuki was compelled to continue talking to this person._

_"My name's Koyuki Tsukino." She felt a little nervous as she could tell her face was turning a slight pink color. The older boy jumped at hearing the surname of his landlord, but clearly wanted to keep from startling her as he limited himself to fidgeting a little.  
_

_"M-my name's H-Haru. Haru Takemura." He bowed his head slightly._

_Koyuki smiled brightly before taking a seat beside him, much to his surprise. "It's nice to meet you, Haru-kun."_

That was the day she fell in love with Haru.

She did everything she could to get him to notice her and overlook the five year age difference, but he only continued to see her as a friend.

But when she saw him with that half-naked woman, Koyuki couldn't help but feel...Angry. Betrayed. Sorrowful. All of these expressed how she felt.

She wanted to get back at him. To make him pay for hurting her...and in the end it didn't make her feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse.

She just wanted him to make Yashima go away so things could go back to the way things used to be...

Koyuki didn't notice she was still running until she slammed right into somebody.

"Watch where you're going, you bitch!"

"Why don't you-?!" Koyuki's words were caught in her throat as she looked at the sixteen year old she had run into.

Judging from his almost stereotypical clothes, he and his friends were gang members.

"Why don't I _what_, sweetheart?" He asked mockingly. Koyuki tried to walk backwards when the thug clamped his hand on her shoulder. "Now that I get a good look at you, you look pretty good for your age."

It was clear by the look in his eyes where this was headed.

"L-let me go!" Koyuki tried to command. The gang leader smirked.

"What's the matter? We're just gonna have a little fun with ya is all." Koyuki tried to break his grip, but it seemed to tighten with each passing second.

"No..."

"Now get over here." Koyuki's eyes darted around.

No one was coming to her rescue. There were only the sleazebags around her with their perverted and cruel grins.

"No, please..." The leader then began dragging Koyuki forward as her eyes began to water. "...please help me..." Tears rolled down her cheek as she was beginning to be dragged into the alley. "Help me...please..."

"Pipe down. It'll make things go by faster." She tried using the muscles of her legs to pull herself back but the leader's strength was beyond her own as they began to get to the point of no return.

"Help me...Please help me...HARU-KUN!"

The gang leader turned around to face Koyuki with an annoyed expression. "What are you-" He was interrupted as an unknown mass rammed right into him, knocking him against the wall of the alleyway. "What the Hell?!" He asked as he tried to stand upright.

Koyuki stared at the back of her savior with disbelief. Even from behind, she could tell who it was.

"Don't lay another hand on Koyuki-chan!"

* * *

_Back to normal POV..._

Haru turned around and smiled at Koyuki, whom he was relieved to see unharmed. "You're alright, Koyuki-chan?"

Koyuki's tears refused to dry up as she looked at Haru with pure disbelief. "Haru-kun..."

"Why you son of a bitch!" The guy whom Haru had knocked down was starting to get back up, not looking very happy. He pulled out a baseball bat seemingly out of thin air. "I suppose I should show the girl why you don't mess with us. You won't need the example where you're going."

Haru began sweating like crazy. "Oh crap..."

"Haru-kun," complained Koyuki. "Beat the crap out of them!" Haru swallowed.

"A-actually, that whole 'coming to the rescue' thing w-was about all I had. We're r-royally screwed right now."

"WHAT?!"

"I didn't think it through that well!" Haru used his body to shield Koyuki from view as the thugs advanced on them with their weapons.

The first one ran up to him, crowbar raised when-

"Look out below." came a rather casual voice. The thug didn't know what hit him when someone familiar dug her heels into his back, using him as a landing pad.

She carried her usual gigantic hammer with both of her hands.

Yashima glanced back at Haru. "Are you alright, Haru-sama?" Haru let out a sigh of relief before smiling gratefully.

"We're fine now thanks to you, Yashima-chan." Yashima seemed happy until the thugs finally processed what just happened.

One of the cruder thugs grinned with even more perversion on his face than before. "Well what do we have here? Hey, baby. Why not ditch the loser and the pipsqueak and come over here to hang out with some REAL men?"

Yashima became surrounded by a much more malevolent aura than before.

Haru flinched as he remembered how much Yashima hated people calling Haru a loser or insulting him.

"N-now, Yashima...try to hold back somewhat and leave them in one piece is the most I can say." He said finally, realizing there was no stopping her. "Go get'em." Yashima didn't need any more invitation as she stalked toward the thugs. Haru turned to Koyuki. "You might want to close your eyes."

Koyuki, clearly confused, did as she was told.

She then realized his reasoning when she heard the pains of terrible pain coming from the thugs who were experiencing the painful Hell known as Yashima's fury.

Haru's other reasoning was so she didn't see him doing the exact same thing.

* * *

_Koyuki's POV..._

By the time the three started returning home, the sun was already starting to go down.

Haru had allowed Koyuki, who had said she was really tired, to ride on his back for the duration of the trip.

Despite this, Yashima had deemed it fit to cling to Haru while they were walking together even though she had to carry what Koyuki had to guess to be a prop with her other hand, making the trip no doubt uncomfortable for Haru both physically and mentally.

Yashima seemed much happier than before for reasons Koyuki could only assume.

It was still an awkward trip for Koyuki and Haru.

Eventually, Koyuki tightened her grip on the back of his shirt. "Haru-kun-"

"I'm sorry, Koyuki-chan...for the things I said." Koyuki's eyes widened. Haru sighed. "You were right. I guess I was so focused on Yashima that I forgot about you. I know why you were so upset now."

Koyuki could feel her face burn a deep scarlet color. "Y-you do!?"

Haru nodded. "Yeah. Even though we're best friends, I kept the fact that Yashima was staying with me a secret from you. And that's not right. I shouldn't have lied to you about this and I shouldn't have snapped at you and insulted you. I'm sorry."

Koyuki felt her spirit deflate a little. But it made her feel better that Haru no longer felt angry at her...but she still had to do something.

"I'm sorry too, Haru-kun...I was so mad that I hurt one of the people I never wanted to hurt out of anger...I never should have tried to blackmail you, Haru-kun." Haru smiled softly and Koyuki felt her insides melt a little.

"It's OK, Koyuki-chan. In the end, everything turned out alright I suppose. Besides," Koyuki's eye twitched a little as she noticed Yashima tighten her grip on Haru. "I'm not one to hold a grudge over small matters like this. You're far different from _her._ You're my best friend after all."

The young girl sighed.

_It's better than our previous standing. Now I just have to keep on trying..._

Koyuki found herself smiling to herself as she broke Haru's grip on her and landed on her feet. Haru stared at her in surprise.

"Koyuki-chan-!"

"Sorry, Haru-kun, but I can't let a handsome gentleman carry me home." she said playfully, fanning her face. "What would my parents think?" She then ran off, giggling.

"W-what?" he asked with that same cute tone of his.

"Besides, you still have to get groceries!" She shot back at him. She could still sense him jump a little as she ran.

Koyuki was filled with a new found determination as she made her way home.

_You better watch out, Yashima. Haru's heart WILL be mine! Just wait and see, my new love rival!_

* * *

_Back to Haru..._

Haru stared as Koyuki vanished from his sight. He was going to ask if she was going to be alright, but she had clearly answered that question.

"Yashima, do you know what that was about?" His 'passenger' (for lack of a better word) said nothing and continued to cling to him, smiling with that beautiful smile of hers. "You're certainly in a cheerful mood. Something happen while I was gone?" They made their way to the grocery store as to avoid having Yashima starve when they got home.

Yashima shook her head. "Everything was just fine, Haru-sama."

"If you say so."

But something had indeed happened.

* * *

_Earlier...Yashima's POV..._

Yashima had snatched the phone up the moment it rang. She had been feeling so anxious after Haru-sama had left.

Her chest hurt...it wasn't a pleasant feeling...to be apart from her Ashikabi.

"Hello?" she asked quickly, trying not to sound desperate. "Is that you, Haru-sama?"

_"Yeah. It's me, Yashima-chan."_ The voice on the other line replied. Yashima's chest loosened a bit as she began to feel more at easy, just hearing Haru-sama's voice. _"Looks like I'm going to be coming home soon. I'll pick groceries up on the way back so I can still make us something to eat."_

"OK." Yashima found herself smiling to herself at Haru-sama's confirmation of his impending return.

_"Oh yeah, and-"_ For a few minutes, Yashima frowned as her Ashikabi stopped speaking.

"Haru-sama? Is everything alright?" She was about to go after him to see if he was in danger when she heard someone snatch the phone from him. No doubt the girl who followed Haru-sama home. Yashima couldn't help but feel a spark of rivalry with that girl for reasons she couldn't comprehend.

_"No, it's not alright."_ The girl, Koyuki, replied in Haru-sama's stead. _"Haru wanted me to tell you he ha-"_ Yashima could only listen as she heard the phone being smacked away and clatter onto the ground. She could still hear voices, but couldn't make out what they were saying...until-

_"I'd rather die than hurt Yashima!..."_ Yashima managed to hear after a few minutes. Her heart stopped at Haru-sama's words, her chest starting to become warmer and warmer with each moment. _"I'D RATHER DIE THAN HURT THE GIRL I LOVE-!"_

Yashima stopped paying attention as she felt her chest explode from the incredible warm feeling she felt from the words Haru-sama said.

Before she could stop herself, Yashima immediately ran out the door, just barely managing to remember her hammer as she ran to Haru-sama. The warm feeling in her chest compelled her to go find her Ashikabi most likely for no reason but to be with him.

"I'm coming...Haru-sama..."

* * *

_Present...Haru's POV..._

Haru couldn't help but feel his cheeks heat up a little as Yashima ran in front of him. She was once again staring deep into his eyes as she normally does when she does what he had already been suspecting she would do.

Before Haru could say a word, Yashima leaned in and pressed her lips against his as they once again entered a rather passionate embrace.

It wasn't as long as the others as it ended shortly after Yashima's wings faded, but it still had that spark that Haru couldn't help but long for.

"W-what was that for?" Yashima said nothing as she went back to clinging to his arm.

"I love you, Haru-sama." Haru found himself blushing several different shades of red.

"W-where did that come from?" Yashima said nothing to this. Haru didn't want to leave her hanging, so he felt best to reply. "I love you too, Yashima-chan."

He could tell she was even happier than before despite the fact she still said nothing.

She didn't have to say anything anyway.

He knew just from looking at her.

"So what do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Donburi," was her immediate reply.

"Again? That's the fifth time in a row we've had that for dinner." Haru was about to suggest an alternative when Yashima started staring at him like an adorable puppy dog. The look he could not resist. "Fine. I'll make it the best donburi I've made yet!"

"Thank you, Haru-sama."

Haru blushed further as her thanks. "Y-you're welcome, Yashima-chan."

Their trip passed in silence, the two having nothing to say, and needing nothing but eachother's company...and groceries of course.

**Done! OK! Next chapter I will surely add a new Sekirei! OK, still accepting ideas for Haru's Sekirei. None of the main Sekirei like Minato's Sekirei or Uzume. And if you submit an idea, give me a good reason and how I would write them into the story! Just give me an idea as to what you're getting at.  
**

**If you're wondering who they're referring to when they say 'her'...you'll just have to wait to find out. But if you've been paying attention, you know who 'she' is. The girl who Haru hates.  
**

**I know I switched point of views a lot this chapter, but don't expect it to be like this every time.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'M BAAAAAACK~!**

**There's a new poll up and I want you guys to vote!**

**Chapter 5**

_"I've found you, Ashikabi-sama~!" sang a somewhat familiar voice cheerfully. Haru turned around to see an unfortunately familiar girl._

_She had long, blonde hair tied in two side pony tails and the only thing different about her was her outfit. She wore black stockings and a black western styled dress with one yellow vertical stripe in the middle of it. Before Haru could say a word, she was already right in front of him, a hand placed gently on his cheek in contrast to her attitude during their first meeting.  
_

_Haru wanted to call out to Yashima or ANYONE at all, but he found that he didn't have the ability to speak anymore._

_"You're all mine now..."_

_And then darkness..._

* * *

Haru woke up with a yawn. His tired eyes glanced to his right and his left, but he realized someone was missing.

_Hm...Yashima's probably fetching a morning snack...I'll have to talk to her...later..._

Haru closed his eyes and prepared to nod off again.

_Why do my legs feel so heavy though?_

He simply shrugged off the feeling and soon enough drifted off into unconsciousness...He was only brought back to his senses by a piercing shriek.

Haru quickly shot up, wide awake. "Huh?" He turned to a familiar, young girl standing at the entrance to his room. She was dressed in her school uniform, no doubt stopping here on her way. "When did you get here, Koyuki-chan?"

"YOU DISGUSTING PERVERT! How could you betray me like this?!" Haru raised an eyebrow.

"W-What are you talking about? And more importantly, doesn't this qualify as breaking and entering?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" She pointed accusingly at Haru...but then he noticed she was pointing a little bit downward.

"Heh?" Haru looked down to see the very reason his legs had been feeling heavier. Yashima had her head laid down on Haru's lap and was sound asleep. From her position, it was almost like she was... "WAAAAH!" It really didn't help that Yashima was drooling.

Haru crawled out from under Yashima and backed away several inches, his heart ready to burst from his chest. "I-I swear it's not what it looks like! We didn't d-do anything! I didn't do anything! Her...I pray to God that she didn't do anything." 'Sort of', he added in his mind. The idea of 'being with' Yashima didn't sound too unappealing.

Haru blushed deeply, shaking the perverted thought out of his head.

"Liar!" Koyuki rebutted. Haru held up his hands and gestured for Koyuki to calm down.

"I-I'm not lying, K-Koyuki-chan! We didn't do anything!" Then a thought passed through Haru's mind.

_Wait. Why am I talking to a thirteen-year-old as if I cheated on her? Besides, me and Koyuki-chan are friends and I'm sure she doesn't have those feeling at all.  
_

Koyuki wasn't done glaring though. "You're sleeping in a bed with a half-naked woman whose head was lying on your crotch and you expect me to believe nothing happened?"

Haru laughed awkwardly. "Hehe. When you say it like that, i-it does sound a bit far-fetched." He was about to say something else when he heard a small groan coming from Yashima. She slowly pushed herself upwards, sitting upright and facing the two. Yashima rubbed her eyes sleepily, yawning in such an adorable way, it made you forget she was half-naked.

"Good morning, Haru-sama." She turned stretched her arms outward, her 'gifts' bouncing just a bit.

Both Haru and Koyuki froze when they heard a not-too-subtle snap. Their eyes widened as Yashima's bra fell forward, the back clap having been snapped no doubt by the stress caused by Yashima's breasts.

Yashima blinked. "Did it get colder in here, Haru-sama?" Koyuki's expression made it seem like she was close to tears as she looked down at her own chest.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-" Despite how much he tried, Haru could only stutter. Blood spewed out of his nose like a geyser.

Koyuki glared at Haru.

"JEEEERK!" Haru was also met in the face by the heel of Koyuki's foot. It didn't help the bleeding problem he already had as he slammed into the wall.

"So. Much. Pain..."

* * *

As Haru made his way down the street, he couldn't help but sigh.

In the end, he came up with a hastily made up excuse of needing to get groceries (which in itself wasn't entirely a lie) and the moment he got dressed, he went flying out the door.

"Well that certainly couldn't have gone any less painfully." He muttered to himself. "Might as well go get the usual. Maybe I should try making something other than donburi for dinner. Cos if that becomes all Yashima-chan eats, then it is not going to end in a pleasant place. Well, the thighs to be exact." He chuckled at his own rather terrible joke. Mostly at the fact he can't tell a joke for beans.

He continued to the store, but he after a good fifteen minutes of walking he stopped. "Hm?" Right over the spot where he was standing was a rather large shadow. "It getting dark already?" He hovered one of his hands right over his squinting eyes. "No. The sun's still out." Upon closer inspection, Haru was able to tell that there was something in the sky. "What is that?" He paused when it started getting bigger. "Oh. This cannot be good." As the shadowy object got closer, he got a good look at some kind of fabric. "What is-Oh crap."

"Look out below!"

That was the only warning Haru got before something slammed right into his face, knocking him backwards onto the hard, unforgiving ground.

"Well this is somewhat déjà vu." Haru opened his eyes and blushed deeply when he realized what little sight he had granted him a decent view of a heart pattern. It was no puzzle what article of clothing he was looking out considering whoever it was was sitting on the side of his face. "I swear to God and Buddha if this is that same pinkette as before."

"What pinkette?" asked the girl who was sitting on top of him. She sounded honestly curious...not to mention familiar.

"Um..." Haru felt his face grow hotter when he remembered what part was currently pressed against his face. "N-Nothing, m-miss..." He felt his words caught in his throat.

He noticed the girl twitch slightly, as if she flinched or face-palmed. "Oh! I'm on top of you, aren't I? Sorry!" Haru took a deep breath as the girl finally got off of him.

Haru sat up, rubbing the aching side of his face while simultaneously trying to hide his blush. His embarrassment kept him from thinking about the pain. He didn't want to repeat the scene that played out after the pinkette had hit him. "Don't worry about it, Mi-" Haru froze entirely. "Eek-Ah-Eh..." Haru found himself unable to speak as he began to tremble from pure fear. "Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-"

The girl cocked her head sideways. "Hey...Are you...alright?" He then noticed the light blush on her face.

"Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-" Haru found himself unable to finish that sentence. He didn't have to because he recognized the girl he was looking at.

She had long, blonde hair tied in two side pony tails and the only thing different about her was her outfit. She wore black stockings and a black western styled dress with one yellow vertical stripe in the middle of it.

The girl Haru recognized as No. 38, Mitsuha stared at Haru with a mildly confused expression. But the blush on her face only intensified.

"It's you..." She muttered under her breath. Haru paled considerably.

_SHIT! SHE REMEMBERS ME!_

"Sorry! Gotta go!" Haru quickly stumbled his feet and ran in the opposite direction of the no doubt grudge bearing Sekirei. It took Mitsuha a few moments to realize what just happened.

"HEY! WAIT A SEC!" And then she gave chase. Haru began to cry comically out of fear as he ran.

"SOMEBODY FRICKING HELP ME!" He shouted. He could tell Mitsuha was hot on his trail.

"WAIT! HOLD ON! I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU!" Haru chanced a look behind him and his eyes widened. Even though he was one of the fastest runners he knew, Mitsuha was catching up to him like she was possessed by a demon.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Haru then started to run even faster. "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU PSYCHO!"

"THAT'S KINDA MEAN, GUY!" Mitsuha shouted back. Haru faltered for a moment, sensing a strange tinge of hurt in Mitsuha's voice. But then he remembered Yashima's fight against her. How badly she had tried to hurt Yashima. Not to mention the look in her eye at the thought of possibly killing Haru.

He would never forgive her. And he knew she wouldn't be exactly keen to have a simple pleasant conversation with him. Thousands of terrifying scenarios played through his mind. Each worse than the last.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

* * *

Eventually Mitsuha had lost sight of her target. She stopped and looked all around.

"Damn! Where'd he go?!" She had an extremely sad expression on her face. She then noticed a nearby civilian reading a newspaper and sitting on the bench looking out at the street. "Excuse me, sir, have you seen a young adult male, spiky brown hair, wears a necklace with a cross on it?"

The man spoke with a heavy accent.

"Yees! I veleev ee vent zat vay!" Mitsuha bowed to the man.

"Thank you!" She then went off in the direction the man had pointed her in.

"Don't meenshion eet!"

Once he was sure Mitsuha was gone, Haru lowered the newspaper and sighed out of relief. "Well that was close?"

"What was?" Haru froze as he heard the voice of the person currently leaning on his shoulder. "Hey, can I read that article when you're done?" Mitsuha asked cheerfully.

Haru paled again. He threw the newspaper and began to run again, screaming all the while.

Mitsuha frowned. "Why is he running away from me? Is he really that upset about me falling on him?" Mitsuha(?) pondered this for several moments before realizing her target was getting away. "GET BACK HERE!"

"NO!" Haru replied smartly.

Mitsuha once again began to chase after Haru. During this time, a few thoughts passed through Haru's mind.

_Wait...she uses a whip, doesn't she? Hm. Maybe she forgot about it._

Haru was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't realize he made a wrong turn down a nearby alleyway. He continued running but had no choice but to stop when he ran into a chain link fence. He was knocked backward by the impact and landed flat on his back.

"Owwwww..."

"I found you~!" sang the voice of a familiar blonde. Haru stood and flattened himself against the fence, staring at the approaching Mitsuha in terror. He tried to move, but when he tried to move forward, Haru found his wrists tied to the fence by some kind of invisible rope. When he looked closer, it was seen that they were strings. Metal strings.

_Sekirei can use multiple weapons?!_

Haru swallowed hard as he looked around, looking for anything that could help him out of this situation.

"I finally caught you~!" she said as she appeared right in front of him. She gently caressed Haru's cheek, something Haru would have found sweet or romantic if it wasn't Mitsuha who was carrying out the act. He flinched as he prepared for her to cut off his face or something.

_Yashima...help me..._

He immediately felt ashamed of that thought. Yashima wasn't his bodyguard. She shouldn't have to come to his rescue every time he got into trouble.

Haru bit his lower lip. "What do you want?"

Mitsuha smiled. "You know what I want." She said cryptically. Haru had a good idea what she was talking about and it only increased his dread.

_Good-bye appendages._

"Go away! Just leave me alone! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Mitsuha stepped back as if she had been slapped. "I'd rather die than give you any satisfaction."

Mitsuha looked like she had been punched in the gut that time. "But-"

"I'll kill myself right now if you want, but I'm not leaving you with any satisfaction whatsoever! So either kill me now or go away!" And he was sure he assured his death sentence.

"...OK..." said the voice in a shaky tone. Haru could swear he heard wrong or maybe she was furious, but it sounded...disappointed, sad. All at once, Haru felt his restraints loosen and vanish altogether. Haru rubbed his wrists as he looked back to Mitsuha. She was on her knees, her face pointed toward the ground. "...I...I'll never bother you again..."

Haru figured he would've felt relieved...but for some reason, he felt...sorrow. Regret.

"...but..." Haru tensed. "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry!..." Haru blinked.

"What?" He felt the atmosphere become even more awkward when something wet began to roll down Mitsuha's cheeks. Tears.

"I'm sorry!" She shouted again. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it! I'm sorry for falling on you! I'm sorry!" This was followed by even more sobs as she began gasping for air between tears. She fell on all fours as her crying became even louder. "I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY!"

Haru's eye twitched involuntarily. He forgot all fear or emotions other than annoyance. Pure annoyance.

"You think I'd ever forgive you just like that? After everything you've done!?" He clenched his fists. Mitsuha flinched at his words.

"I'm sorry!"

"Sorry don't cut it! After hurting Yashima-chan, you think I'd just forgive you JUST LIKE THAT?!" Mitsuha flinched.

"But...but..."

"But what?!" Haru asked, using what little willpower remained to keep his voice restrained at the volume it was at.

"But...I've never fought anyone named Yashima! I haven't fought anyone at all yet!"

"Don't lie! You fought and tried to kill Yashima just the other day! And me along with her!"

"BUT I DIDN'T!" she shouted even louder in her defense. Haru stepped back in surprise. Mitsuha continued to cry more and more. "I...I haven't even found my Ashikabi yet..."

Haru continued to try to poke holes in her story, but he had returned to his previous calmer tone of voice at that statement. "Last time we met, you tried to fight us because we accidentally stopped you from taking an unwinged Sekirei back to your Ashikabi, Mitsuha." Mitsuha blinked.

Her eyes had a new emotion in them. Hope. "But...I'm my name's NOT Mitsuha."

This time Haru blinked. "Pardon?" Not-Mitsuha placed her hands on her chest, as if she was silently praying to herself.

"I'm not the one who attacked you. I'm No. 39, Mitsuki." There was a brief silence.

"What?"

MitsuKI (who is not MitsuHA) began to have more of a hopeful expression as she nodded. "Yeah. We're two different Sekirei." Just from the way she said, Haru had no doubt she was being truthful. Now Haru finally understood the guilty feeling in his gut.

"Oh..." He looked away, an ashamed expression on her face. "...Um...we're even...?" Haru asked uncertainly. He had just yelled at a girl who had done nothing wrong. He felt stupid thinking he'd be forgiven so easil-

"YEEEEES~!" Haru was taken back as Mitsuki slammed right into him, wrapping her arms around Haru's neck. "Yes! Yes yes yes! YES!"

Haru had the perverted pleasure of having his face shoved in between her larger than normal (by human standards) bust. Whether that's what she intended or not, Haru would never know.

Mitsuki then paused her cheerful glee as if she just thought of something. She pushed Haru away, trying (and failing) to look upset. "I mean-No. I don't forgive you."

Haru felt his heart sink. "I understa-"

"BUT..." Mitsuki blushed slightly, poking her fingers together. "...I will if you do something for me..."

Haru's heart rose a little. He would do anything to rid himself of this hopeful feeling. "Sure. Whatever you need. What is it?"

Mitsuki's blush deepened. "Remember how I said I don't have an Ashikabi?" Haru nodded, having a terrible gut feeling he knew where this was going.

"Yeah..." He felt his own cheeks heat up.

"Well..." Her hesitation really didn't help the awkwardness of the situation. "...this has to do with the reason I was chasing after you...um..." Haru's heart began to beat even more rapidly than ever before, Haru bracing himself for the words he knew were to come. "...what I wanted to ask was...WILL YOU BE MY ASHIKABI!? I'll love you and be with you even if you end up hating me! Even if you just want to use me, I'll still love you! So please, PLEASE be my Ashikabi!"

The words hit Haru even harder than he thought they would. From the hopeful look on Mitsuki's face, it was certain that she had just laid out her soul right there. It was Haru's decision whether he returned the feeling.

He felt the choice eating up all of his insides. Eventually, he found himself saying only one answer.

"I...No. I can't...I'm very sorry..." He said. "...That is the one thing I cannot do." Before Mitsuki could process his answer, Haru ran right past her, forgetting everything he had originally set out to do.

Mitsuki stared in shock as Haru vanished from her sight.

No. This wasn't how she was gonna let things end.

* * *

Haru felt slightly depressed as he made his way up the stairs to his apartment.

He was certain he had up and crushed what little hope Mitsuki had of being winged by him (although Haru couldn't understand why HE of all people had been chosen). And even worse he had PROMISED he'd do whatever she wanted and he went back on that promise.

He felt disgusted with himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was afraid of what Yashima would think...

_How Haru Pictures what would happen..._

_Haru was standing in front of Yashima with a blushing Mitsuki squeezing Haru's arm between her bust as she held him close.  
_

_Yashima suddenly burst into tears. "Oh, Haru-sama! How could you betray me like this?!" Haru nervously tried to hold out his hands to stop her._

_"W-Wait, Yashima-chan-!"_

_"I can never forgive you for cheating on me! Good-bye forever!" Yashima then ran away, her tears falling dramatically in slow motion_

_"No! Yashima!"_

_End of worst case scenario..._

Just the thought of it made Haru want to cry. He couldn't lose Yashima.

She had been the one who led him to the light. She was the one who gave his life meaning. The one who gave him his reason to live.

To lose Yashima would be like he would be losing a piece of his heart. Without that piece, he would die.

Haru pulled his key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.

Harue sighed as he walked into his home. "Yashima-chan, I'm ho-holy crap."

"Welcome back, Haru-sama~!" sang the same familiar voice from earlier. Sitting next to Yashima on Haru's rather small couch was none other than-

"Mitsuki-chan?!" He didn't know why he added '-chan' even though she would no doubt be hating his guts for rejecting her. As opposed to what he though, Mitsuki's eyes lit up with what could only be joy.

Yashima turned to Haru and smiled slightly. "Welcome home, Haru-sama. Mitsuki and I have been waiting for you."

Haru, still in shock, simply waved. "Um...Y-Yashima-chan...aren't you the least bit fazed how she l-looks just like Mitsuha?"

Yashima shook her head. "I was certain it wasn't Mitsuha. Once a Sekirei is terminated, they are taken out of the Sekirei Plan and are unable to move after having their Crest removed."

"Ah...I see." There was yet another awkward silence. "So..."

"Why won't you wing Mitsuki, Haru-sama?"

Haru blinked at the question Yashima asked. "Say what?"

Yashima had a rather sad expression on her face. As if it had been her he had broken a promise to. "I want to know why? Are you mad at her?"

Mitsuki hung her head in shame. "Well, I did fall on him..."

"No no!" Haru defended, waving his hands in defense. "I-I wasn't mad...I just...I thought you would be upset with me..." He felt like a child expecting a scolding from a parent after breaking a window with a baseball. "...I didn't w-want to betray you...cos I love you a-and..." Haru's blush deepened with each word he said, making it difficult to speak his mind. Yashima brushed her hand against Haru's cheek.

"I know you meant well, Haru-sama...but to keep a Sekirei from being with the one they love...it's a fate worse than death." She stated. She held her hand to her heart. "I'll admit that I'm much more happy being with you than the person I reacted to, but if a Sekirei wants to be with a good person whom they care for, it's wrong to keep them from that person. It should be the Sekirei's choice."

Haru had trouble wrapping his head around it. He took a seat to Yashima's right, away from Mitsuki. "So Ashikabi are allowed to wing more than one Sekirei?"

Mitsuki nodded. "Yep. As long as the Sekirei or the Ashikabi are willing, they could wing a hundred Sekirei if they'd like."

Haru paled at the thought of trying to fit a hundred Yashimas and Mitsukis in his small apartment. Mitsuki broke out into laughter and even Yashima smiled a bit at Haru's expression.

"Of course there's absolutely no chance of that happening. The odds are one in a trillion." Haru sighed from relief. "But the more Sekirei an Ashikabi wings, the greater their power as an Ashikabi becomes, drawing more Sekirei to them."

Haru blushed slightly. "So, M-Mitsuki is..." Mitsuki copied Haru's gesture and blushed. "...and...you're o-okay with this?" The question had been directed toward Yashima.

Yashima nodded. "No matter what you do, I'll always love you, Haru-sama...even if it means I must compete with another for your affection." There was a slight spark on that last comment. Haru also noticed she also glanced at Mitsuki in what might've been a competitive way.

Out of everything Haru was feeling, uneasiness triumphed over all of the others. He turned to Mitsuki. "S-So...I'm the only one you're reacting to?"

Mitsuki nodded. She got up from her seat and walked over to Haru so she was standing right in front of him. She had a pleading look on her face. "Please...Haru-sama, please be my Ashikabi?"

While she wasn't as adorable as Yashima, Haru found himself unable to resist. "...OK...but I will give you fair warning. I'm not the most good-looking or wealthiest Ashikabi, but I will love and treasure you just as much as Yashima-chan. I swear it on my life." Mitsuki was clearly already sold on 'love'.

"I, No. 39, Mitsuki, want to be with you now and forever, Haru-sama." Haru nodded. He stood up from his seat and nervously placed his hands on Mitsuki's shoulders. He closed his eyes as he slowly brought his face closer to Mitsuki's, pressing his lips against hers. Mitsuki placed her hands on Haru's chest as bright-yellow wings illuminated the entire room.

It lasted for seconds before Haru pulled back. He was shocked to see a rather displeased Mitsuki. "U-Um...did I do something wrong, Mitsuki-chan?"

"Damn straight." She was blushing now. "I've been waiting to be winged forever. If I'm doing this, I'm doing it my way."

"What does that-MMPH!" Mitsuki grabbed Haru by his collar and pulled him forward, forcing her lips against his. Her bright wings once again appeared as she forced Haru back onto the couch before straddling him, one leg on either side of him. She once again leaned in and pressed her lips against Haru's. Then next came her tongue. She pressed it against Haru's lips, seeking entrance into his mouth. Giving into the pleasure, Haru allowed her in at which point Mitsuki's tongue began to move in a circular motion, causing Haru's tongue to do likewise as it became something of a fight between the two for dominance. Mitsuki only pulled away for a moment so she could gently bite Haru's lower lip and tug on it just a little shortly before returning her tongue into his mouth, continuing their passionate fight for dominance in the others mouth.

Even Haru was lost in the passion...until-

"Cough cough." said another voice. Haru's eyes widened as he gently pushed Mitsuki away enough that her tongue was no longer inside his mouth but instead hanging out slightly as Mitsuki took the hint and pulled away. A small trail of saliva between their two mouths was all that remained of their kiss. Yashima appeared to be slightly irritated. Her expression hadn't changed, but Haru could just sense it. Both Haru and Mitsuki had blushes on their face, but for slightly different reasons.

"Y-Yashima-chan..." He mumbled. But he felt oddly relieved when he realized that Yashima's annoyance wasn't directed toward him but rather Mitsuki.

"He already winged you. That is enough." She kept a level tone, but there was a certain LETHAL edge in her voice. Mitsuki shot her a smug look.

"What's the matter? Jealous OUR Ashikabi is able to be a better kisser with me than you?"

_So THIS is what Yashima meant by compete. Apparently the conflict has begun._ He thought subconsciously.

"The only reason he was like that was because he doesn't have to hold back for slu-"

"Language, Yashima!" Haru shouted before clamping his hands over his mouth. Yashima's expression softened when she turned to Haru and she nodded before returning to glaring daggers at Mitsuki.

Mitsuki laughed at Yashima's claim. "You're just jealous because you don't know how to please him like I can."

"That's a lie." Yashima shot back.

"Then tell me," she pointed between Haru's legs, drawing both the attention of Haru and Yashima. "has he ever been like THIS whenever you've kissed him?" Yashima blushed only slightly while Haru turned several deep shades of red before covering the small 'bump' on his pants with his hands.

"S-Sorry! Please forgive me!" Mitsuki placed a finger to Haru's lips as she once again shot a smug look toward Yashima.

"Don't worry, Haru-sama. It's only natural for that to happen when you're actually _pleasured_ by a woman." Mitsuki replied assuringly while still shooting a look at Yashima. The friction between the two Sekirei was literally creating a static charge.

"Or maybe it's the tempting spell of a succubus who needs to be exterminated." added Yashima. She then turned to Haru. "Haru-sama, I change my mind. Please throw her out into the snow."

Haru was unsure which flaw in that sentence he was supposed to point out first. It was a tie between either the fact it isn't snowing or the fact there was no way he was going to be able to throw out a superwoman up to ten times his strength.

"A little late for that, Yashima-chan."

"Don't be mad, Yashima-chan~!" stated Mitsuki mockingly. "It's only natural for you to be jealous since you could never make Haru so happy."

Yashima glared at her. "I'll show you." Haru felt his head turn as Yashima gently placed her hands on the sides of Haru's face, turning him to face her. It was clear from her blush that she was a little nervous. "Haru-sama..." She leaned in to kiss Haru when-

"Oh, Haru-kun..." came a voice like a demonic call. Haru froze before turning to the open front door to see Koyuki holding a box. No doubt a bento.

"K-K-Koyuki-chan! I-I know this looks bad, but-!" There was a large, creepy smile on her face that totally went along with her stare.

"Haru-kun..."

Haru swallowed hard. "Y-Yes?"

"YOU JEEEERK!" He was met in the face by the very box Koyuki was holding.

As Haru slumped backwards, his mind was occupied by several thoughts.

_Well...figure I saw that coming...I think things are going to get more "interesting" for me now that I have two Sekirei...God knows what trouble will ensue...But oddly, I feel kinda happy.  
_

**Done! And then there were two! So things are beginning to get more interesting for Haru now that he has two Sekirei. It took a while but it's finally done.  
**

**Don't forget about my poll. And I'm still accepting ideas for who should be Haru's Sekirei.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye!**


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